c 


OF 


J.  W.   POWELL. 


Figure  1. — Grand  Cauon  01  the  Colorado.    (6,200  feet  deep.) 


EXPLORATION 


OF    THE 


COLORADO  RIVER  01  THE  WEST 


AND 


ITS  TRIBUTARIES. 


EXPLORED  IN 


1869,  187O,  1871,  and  1873, 


UNDElt    THE 


DIRECTION  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT      F  11 I N T I N  G      OFFICE 
1875. 


SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION, 

Washington,  D.  C.,  June  18,  .1874. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  herewith  the  report  of  the  exploration 
of  the  Colorado  River  of  the  West  and  its  tributaries,  by  Prof.  J.  W. 
Powell. 

This  exploration  was  placed  under  the  direction  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  by  Congress. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

JOSEPH  HENRY, 

Secretary  Smithsonian  Institution. 
Hon.  J.  G.  ELAINE, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  June  16,  1874. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  herewith  my  report  of  the  explora 
tion  of  the  Colorado  River  of  the  West  and  its  tributaries,  and  respectfully 
request  that  the  same  may  be  forwarded  to  Congress. 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

•  J.  W.  POWELL. 
Prof.  JOSEPH  HENRY, 

Secretary  Smithsonian  Institution, 

Washington,  D.  C. 


COISTTENTS. 


PART  FIRST. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

Page. 

CHAPTER  I.  The  Valley  of  the  Colorado 3 

II.  From  Green  River  City  to  Flaming  Gorge 8 

III.  From  Flaming  Gorge  to  the  Gate  of  Lodore 14 

IV.  The  Ca!ion  of  Lodore 22 

V.  From  Echo  Park  to  the  mouth  of  the  Uinta  River 33 

VI.  From  the  month  of  the  Uinta  River  to  the  junction  of  the  Grand  and  Green 45 

"VII.  From  the  junction  of  the  Grand  and  Green  to  the  month  of  the  Little  Colorado 57 

VIII.  The  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado 81 

IX.  The  Rio  Virgen  and  the  U-in-ka-ret  Mountains 106 

X.  Report  on  a  trip  to  the  mouth  of  the  Dirty  Devil  River.    A.  H.  Thompson 134 

PART  SECOND. 

ON  THE  PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

CHAPTER  XI.  Ou  the  physical  features  of  the  Valley  of  the  Colorado 149 

XII.  On  the  physical  features  of  the  Valley  of  the  Colorado,  continued 183 

PART  THIRD. 

ZOOLOGY. 

CHAPTER  XIII.  Abstracts  of  results  of  a  study  of  the  genera  Geomys  and  Thomomys.    Elliott  Coues  217 

ADDENDUM    A..  The  cranial  and  dental  characters  of  Geoinyidaj.    Elliott  Coues 267 

ADDENDUM    B.  Notes  on  the  Salamander  of  Florida,  (Geomys  Tueza.)    G.  Brown  Goode 281 


LIST     OF     IJL,LU8TRA.TIO]SrS. 


Frontispiece,  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado - To  face  title-page. 

Figure  2.  Lower  Canon  of  the  Kanab ., To  face  page  4 

3.  Pa-rn'-nu-weap  Canon To  face  page  5 

•   4.  The  start  from  Green  River  station To  face  page  8 

5.  Indian  Camp  on  Henry's  Fork To  face  page  11 

6.  Camp  at  Flaming  Gorge To  face  page  13 

7.  Pa'-ri-ats To  face  page  17 

8.  Gate  of  Lodore To  face  page  22 

9.  Winnies  Grotto , To  face  page  24 

10.  Wreck  at  Disaster  Falls To  face  page  27 

11.  Echo  Rock To  face  page  32 

12.  Swallow  Cave To  face  page  39 

13.  Sai'-ar,  the  interpreter,  and  his  family To  face  page  42 

14.  Indian  Lodge  in  the  Uinta  Valley To  face  page  43 

15.  The  Warrior  and  his  Bride.... To  face  page  44 

16.  Sumner's  Amphitheater To  face  page  46 

17.  Light-House  Rock To  face  page  49 

18.  Gunnisou's  Butte To  face  page  51 

19.  Buttes  of  the  Cross To  face  page  54 

20.  The  Heart  of  Cataract  Cation To  face  page  61 

21.  Water  Basin  in  Gypsum  Canon To  face  page  64 

22.  Glen  Cafiou To  face  page  70 

23.  Side  Canon To  face  page  72 

24.  Island  Monument  in  Glen  Canon To  face  page  73 

25.  Noon-day  Rest  in  Marble  Gallon To  face  page  75 

26.  Marble  Canon To  face  page  77 

27.  View  from  camp  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Colorado To  face  page  80 

28.  Running  a  Rapid To  face  page  82 

29.  Granite  Walls To  face  page  86 

30.  Mu-av  Canon To  face  page  90 

31.  Standing  Rocks  on  the  brink  of  Mu-av  Canon To  face  page  92 

32.'  The  Grand  Canon  looking  east  from  To-ro'-weap To  face  page  95 

33.  The  Grand  Canon  looking  west  from  To-ro'-weap To  face  page  95 

34.  Climbing  the  Grand  Canon ^ ...  To  face. page  98 

35.  Our  Indian  Messenger To  face  page  104 

36.  Mary's  Veil To  face  page  106 

37.  Filling's  Cascade ' To  face  page  106 

38.  Entrance  to  Pa-rn'-nu-weap .' To  face  page  109 

39.  Mu-koon'-tn-weap  Canon  To  face  page  111 

40.  Temples  of  Rock  Rover's  Land To  face  page  112 

41.  U-nu'-pin  Pi-ka'-vu To  face  page  114 

42.  Wu-nav'-ai  gathering  seeds To  face  page  115 

43.  Indian  Village To  face  page  119 

44.  An'-ti-naints,  Pu-tu'-siv,  and  Wi'-chnts To  face  page  122 

45.  The  Human  Pickle To  face  page  123 

46.  Indians  Gambling To  face  page  128 


Viii  LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Figure  47.  Cave  Lake  in  Kanab  Canon . To  face  page  133 

48.  Cation  in  Escalante  Basin To  face  page  137 

49.  Tower  at  the  niouth  of  the  Dirty  Devil  River To  face  page  141 

50.  Bad-land  Mountains,  near  Black's  Fork To  face  page  151 

51.  Generalized  section  through  the  Uiuta  Mountains To  face  page  155 

52.  Northern  slope  of  the  Uinta  Mountains To  face  page  158 

53.  A  Diaclinal  Valley To  face  page  160 

54.  A  Cataclinal  Valley '. To  face  page  160 

55.  An  Anticlinal  Valley,  with  section To  face  page  160 

56.  A  Synclinal  Valley To  face  page  160 

57.  An  Anaclinal  Valley : To  face  page  160 

58.  A  Monoclinal  Valley , To  face  page  160 

59.  Horseshoe  Canon To  face  page  162 

60.  Alcove  Lands  and  Bad-lands,  south  of  the  Uinta  Mountains To  face  page  167 

61.  Bird's-eye  View  of  the  Terrace  Canons To  face  page  170 

62.  Bird's-eye  View  of  the  Tooni'-pin  Wu-near'  Tu- weap' To  face  page  175 

63.  View  of  Marble  Canon To  face  page  180 

64.  Section  across  a  simple  fault ...., To  face  page  183 

65.  Section  across  a  fault  with  walls  widely  separated To  face  page  183 

66.  Section  across  a  fault  with  walls  widely  separated To  face  page  183 

67.  A  Monoclinal  Fold To  face  page  184 

68.  Fault  and  fold  in  same  cross  section , To  face  page  184 

69.  Section  across  a  branching  fault To  face  page  184 

70.  Fault  with  thrown  beds  flexed  downward „ To  face  page  184 

71.  Fault  with  thrown  beds  flexed  upward To  face  page  184 

72.  Bird's-eye  view  of  the  Grand  CaSon . , To  face  page  187 

73.  Section  across  the  plateaus  north  of  the  Grand  Cafion To  face  page  190 

74.  Bird's-eye  view  of  cliffs  of  erosion To  face  page  190 

75.  Bird's-eye  view  of  cliffs  of  erosion  thrown  forward  by  a  fault To  face  page  191 

76.  Section  through  the  Echo  Cliffs , To  face  page  191 

77.  Section  across  House  Eock  Valley To  face  page  192 

78.  The  Grand  Cafton  of  the  Colorado To  face  page  195 

79.  Section  of  wall  in  the  Grand  Canon To  face  page  212 

80.  Tholomomys  Chusius To  face  page  265 


In  the  summer  of  1867,  with  a  small  party  of  naturalists,  students,  and 
amateurs  like  myself,  I  visited  the  mountain  region  of  Colorado  Territory. 
While  in  Middle  Park,  I  explored  a  little  canon,  through  which  the  Grand 
River  runs,  immediately  below  the  well-known  watering-place,  "Middle 
Park  Hot  Springs."  Later  in  the  fall  I  passed  through  Cedar  Canon,  the 

V 

gorge  by  which  the  Grand  leaves  the  park.  The  result  of  the  summer's 
study  was  to  kindle  a  desire  to  explore  the  canons  of  the  Grand,  Green,  and 
Colorado  Rivers,  and  the  next  summer  I  organized  an  expedition  with  the 
intention  of  penetrating  still  farther  into  that  canon  country. 

As  soon  as  the  snows  were  melted,  so  that  the  main  range  could  be 
crossed,  I  went  over  into  Middle  Park,  and  proceeded  thence  down  the 
Grand  to  the  head  of  Cedar  Canon,  then  across  the  Park  range  by  Gore's 
Pass,  and  in  October  found  myself  and  party  encamped  on  the  White  River, 
about  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles  above  its  mouth.  At  that  point  I  built 
cabins,  and  established  winter  quarters,  intending  to  oc.cupy  the  cold  season, 
as  far  as  possible,  in  exploring  the  adjacent  country.  The  winter  of 
1868-'69  proved  favorable  to  my  purposes,  and  several  excursions  were 
made,  southward  to  the  Grand,  down  the  White  to  the  Green  River,  north 
ward  to  the  Yampa,  and  around  the  Uinta  Mountains. 

During  these  several  excursions,  I  seized  every  opportunity  to  study 
the  canons  through  which  these  upper  streams  run,  and,  while  thus  engaged, 
formed  plans  for  the  exploration  of  the  canons  of  the  Colorado.  Since  that 
time  I  have  been  engaged  in  executing  these  plans,  sometimes  employed  in 
the  field,,  sometimes  in  the  office.  Begun  originally  as  an  exploration,  the 
work  has  finally  developed  into  a  survey  embracing  the  geography,  geology, 
ethnography,  and  natural  history  of  the  country,  and  a  number  of  gentle 
men  have,  from  time  to  time,  assisted  me  in  the  work. 

II  COL 


X  PREFACE, 

It  is  expected  that  the  results  of  these  labors  will,  as  soon  as  practica 
ble,  be  published  by  the  General  Government,  in  a  series  of  volumes,  and 
such  publication  commences  with  the  present,  which,  in  Part  First,  gives  a 
history  of  the  original  exploration  through  a  region  practically  unknown 
prior  to  the  time  it  was  made.  It  has  not  been  thought  best  to  give  a  history 
of  all  our  travels,  but  only  those  portions  which  were  original  explorations. 

Accompanying  the  volume  will  be  found  a  map  of  the  "  Green  River 
from  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  to  the  mouth  of  the  White  River,"  including 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  and  a  "  Profile  of  the  Green 
River  and  Colorado  River  of  the  West,  from  the  crossing  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  to  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado,  compared  with  the  profile 
of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  from  Pittsburgh  to  Vicksburgh."  It  has 
been  prepared  from  barometric  data  collected  at  different  times  during  the 
exploration  and  survey.  That  portion  below  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Virgen 
has  been  taken  from  Lieutenant  Ives's  u  Report  upon  the  Colorado  &iver  of 
the  West." 

The  altitude  of  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Virgen  is  represented  on  the  pro 
file  with  this  volume  as  somewhat  less  than  it  appears  on  that  made  by 
Lieutenant  Ives.  Our  own  determinations  fix  it  as  we  represent  it.  Lieu 
tenant  Ives's  data  for  the  upper  portion  of  his  line  are  indefinite,  but  can  be 
interpreted  to  agree  with  the  results  which  we  have  obtained ;  perhaps 
better  than  with  his  own  profile. 

As  far  as  possible  we  have  adopted  the  names  of  geographic  features 
used  by  the  settlers  of  the  adjacent  country,  but  many  of  the  mountains, 
plateaus,  valleys,  canons,  and  streams  were  unknown  and  unnamed.  In 
such  cases  we  have  accepted  the  Indian  names,  whenever  they  could  be 
determined  with  accuracy.  I  intend,  finally,  to  publish  a  glossary  of  all 
these  new  names,  giving  their  significance. 

I  am  greatly  indebted  to  many  gentlemen  living  in  Utah,  Wyoming, 
and  Colorado  Territories  for  their  assistance  and  co-operation  in  this  enter 
prise.  To  mention  them  severally  would  inordinately  swell  this  preface. 

Professor  A.  H.  Thompson  has  been  my  companion  and  collaborator 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  and  has  had  entire  charge  of  the  geo- 


PREFACE.  xi 

graphic  work ;  the  final  maps  will  exhibit  the  results  of  his  learning  and 
executive  ability. 

Professor  Joseph  Henry,  the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
under  whose  direction  the  work  was  performed,  prior  to*  the  1st  of  July, 
1874,  has  contributed  greatly  to  any  success  which  we  may  have  had,  by 
his  instructions  and  advice,  and  by  his  most  earnest  sympathy ;  and  I  have 
taken  the  liberty  to  express  my  gratitude  for  his  kindness,  and  reverence 
for  his  profound  attainments,  by  attaching  his  name  to  a  group  of  lofty 
mountains. 

To  the  officers  of  the  Union  Pacific,  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and 
Quincy,  the  Utah  Central,  and  other  railroads,  I  am  indebted  for  many  val 
uable  favors;  but  for  their  co-operation  the  work  could  not  have  been 
accomplished  with  the  means  at  my  command.  Many  thousands  of  dollars, 
in  the  aggregate,  have  been  contributed  by  them  to  the  enterprise  in  the 
form  of  free  transportation.  I  earnestly  hope  that  the  final  result  of  the 
work,  as  a  contribution  to  American  science,  will  not  disappoint  their  expec 
tations. 

J.  W.  P. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  1875. 


OP  THE 


EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


1  COL 


CHAPTER  1. 

THE  VALLEY  OP  THE  COLORADO. 

The  Colorado  River  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Grand  and  Green. 

The  Grand  River  has  its  source  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  five  or  six 
miles  west  of  Long's  Peak,  in  latitude  40°  11'  and  longitude  105°  43' 
approximately.  A  group  of  little  alpine  lakes,  that  receive  their  waters 
directly  from  perpetual  snow-banks,  discharge  into  a  common  reservoir, 
known  as  Grand  Lake,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water.  Its  quiet  surface  reflects 
towering  cliffs  and  crags  of  granite  on  its  eastern  shore;  and  stately  pines 
and  firs  stand  on  its  western  margin. 

The  Green  River  heads  near  Fremont's  Peak,  in  the  Wind  River  Mount 
ains,  in  latitude  43°  15'  and  longitude  109°  45'  approximately.  This 
river,  like  the  last,  has  its  sources  in  alpine  lakes,  fed  by  everlasting  snows. 
Thousands  of  these  little  lakes,  with  deep,  cold,  emerald  waters,  are  em 
bosomed  among  the  crags  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  These  streams,  born 
in  the  cold,  gloomy  solitudes  of  the  upper  mountain-region,  have  a  strange, 
eventful  history  as  they  pass  down  through  gorges,  tumbling  in  cascades 
and  cataracts,  until  they  reach  the  hot,  arid  plains  of  the  Lower  Colorado, 
where  the  waters  that  were  so  clear  above  empty  as  turbid  floods  into  the 
Gulf  of  California. 

The  mouth  of  the  Colorado  is  in  latitude  31°  53'  and  longitude  115°. 

The  Green  River  is  larger  than  the  Grand,  and  is  the  upper  continua 
tion  of  the  Colorado.  Including  this  river,  the  whole  length  of  the  stream  is 
about  two  thousand  miles.  The  region  of  country  drained  by  the  Colorado 
and  its  tributaries  is  about  eight  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  varies  from 
three  hundred  to  five  hundred  in  width,  containing  about  three  hundred 
thousand  square  miles,  an  area  larger  than  all  the  New  England  and  Middle 
States,  with  Maryland  and  Virginia  added,  or  as  large  as  Minnesota,  Wiscon 
sin,  Iowa,  Illinois,  and  Missouri. 

There  are  two  distinct  portions  of  the  basin  of  the  Colorado.     The 


4       EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

lower  third  is  but  little  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  though  here  and  there 
ranges  of  mountains  rise  to  an  altitude  of  from  two  to  six  thousand  feet. 
This  part  of  the  valley  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  a  line  of  cliffs,  which 
present  a  bold,  often  vertical  step,  hundreds  or  thousands  of  feet  to  the 
table-lands  above. 

The  upper  two-thirds  of  the  basin  rises  from  four  to  eight  thousand  feel 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  This  high  region,  on  the  east,  north,  and  west,  is 
set  with  ranges  of  snow-clad  mountains,  attaining  an  altitude  above  the  sea 
varying  from  eight  to  fourteen  thousand  feet.  All  winter  long,  on  its  mount 
ain-crested  rim,  snow  falls,  filling  the  gorges,  half  burying  the  forests,  and  cov 
ering  the  crags  and  peaks  with  a  mantle  woven  by  the  winds  from  the  waves  of 
the  sea — a  mantle  of  snow.  When  the  summer-sun  comes,  this  snow  melts,  and 
tumbles  down  the  mountain-sides  in  millions  of  cascades.  Ten  million  cas 
cade  brooks  unite  to  form  ten  thousand  torrent  creeks;  ten  thousand  torrent 
creeks  unite  to  form  a  hundred  rivers  beset  with  cataracts;  a  hundred  roar 
ing  rivers  unite  to  form  the  Colorado,  which  rolls,  a  mad,  turbid  stream,  into 
the  Gulf  of  California. 

Consider  the  action  of  one  of  these  streams:  its  source  in  the  mount 
ains,  where  the  snows  fall;  its  course  through  the  arid  plains.  Now,  if  at 
the  river's  flood  storms  were  falling  on  the  plains,  its  channel  would  be  cut 
but  little  faster  than  the  adjacent  country  would  be  washed,  and  the  general 
level  would  thus  be  preserved;  but,  under  the  conditions  here  mentioned,  the 
river  deepens  its  bed,  as  there  is  much  through  corrasion  and  but  little 
lateral  degradation. 

So  all  the  streams  cut  deeper  and  still  deeper  until  their  banks  are  tow 
ering  cliffs  of  solid  rock.  These  deep,  narrow  gorges  are  called  canons. 

For  more  than  a  thousand  miles  along  its  course,  the  Colorado  has  cut 
for  itself  such  a  canon;  but  at  some  few  points,  where  lateral  streams  join  it, 
the  canon  is  broken,  and  narrow,  transverse  valleys  divide  it  properly  into 
a  series  of  canons. 

The  Virgen,  Kanab,  Paria,  Escalante,  Dirty  Devil,  Sari  Rafael,  Price, 
and  Uinta  on  the  west,  the  Grand,  Yauipa,  San  Juan,  and  Colorado 
Chiquito  on  the  east,  have  also  cut  for  themselves  such  narrow,  winding 
gorges,  or  deep  canons.  Every  river  entering  these  has  cut  another  canon; 


Figure  2. — Lower  Cafioii  of  the  Kanab.    (3,000  feet  deep.) 


Figure  3. — Pa-rn'-nu-weap  Cafion, 


CANONS.  5 

every  lateral  creek  has  cut  a  canon ;  every  brook  runs  in  a  caiion ;  every  rill 
born  of  a  shower,  and  born  again  of  a  shower,  and  living-  only  during  these 
showers,  has  Gut  for  itself  a  canon;  so  that  the  whole  upper  portion  of  the 
basin  of  the  Colorado  is  traversed  by  a  labyrinth  of  these  deep  gorges. 

Owing  to  a  great  variety  of^  geological  conditions,  these  canons  differ 
much  in  general  aspect.  The  Rio  Virgen,  between  Long  Valley  and  the 
Mormon  town  of  Schunesburgh,  runs  through  Pa-ru'-nu-weap  Caiion,  often  not 
more  than  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  width,  and  from  six  hundred  to  one  thou 
sand  five  hundred  feet  deep. 

Away  to  the  north,  the  Yampa  empties  into  the  Green  by  a  canon  that 
I  essayed  to  cross  in  the  fall  of  1868,  and  was  baffled  from  day  to  day  until 
the  fourth  had  nearly  passed  before  I  could  find  my  way  down  to  the  river. 
But  thirty  miles  above  its  mouth,  this  canon  ends,  and  a  narrow  valley,  with 
a  flood- plain,  is  found.  Still  farther  up  the  stream,  the  river  comes  down 
through  another  canon,  and  beyond  that  a  narrow  valley  is  found,  and  its 
upper  course  is  now  through  a  canon  and  now  a  valley. 

All  these  canons  are  alike  changeable  in  their  topographic  character 
istics. 

The  longest  canon  through  which  the  Colorado  runs  is  that  between  the 
mouth  of  the  Colorado  Chiquito  and  the  Grand  Wash,  a  distance  of  two 
hundred  and  seventeen  and  a  half  miles.  But  this  is  separated  from  another 
above,  sixty-five  and  a  half  miles  in  length,  only  by  the  narrow  canon-valley 
of  the  Colorado  Chiquito. 

All  the  scenic  features  of  this  canon- land  are  on  a  giant  scale,  strange 
and  weird.  The  streams  run  at  depths  almost  inaccessible ;  lashing  the  rocks 
which  beset  their  channels ;  rolling  in  rapids,  and  plunging  in  falls,  and  mak 
ing  a  wild  music  which  but  adds  to  the  gloom  of  the  solitude. 

The  little  valleys  nestling  along  the  streams  are  diversified  by  border 
ing  willowy,  clumps  of  box-elder,  and  small  groves  of  cottonwood. 

Low  mesas,  c*ry  and  treeless,  stretch  back  from  the  brink  of  the  canon, 
often  showing  smooth  surfaces  of  naked,  solid  rock.  In  some  places,  the 
country  rock  being  composed  of  marls,  the  surface  is  a  bed  of  loose,  disinte 
grated  material,  and  you  walk  through  it  as  in  a  bed  of  ashes.  Often  these 
marls  are  richly  colored  and  variegated.  In  other  places,  the  country  rock 


6       EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

is  a  loose  sandstone,  the  disintegration  of  which  has  left  broad  stretches  of 
drifting  sand,  white,  golden,  and  vermilion. 

Where  this  sandstone  is  a  conglomerate,  a  paving  of  pebbles  has  been 
left,  a  mosaic  of  many  colors,  polished  by  the  drifting  sands,  and  glistening 
in  the  sunlight. 

After  the  canons,  the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  country  are  the 
long  lines  of  cliffs.  These  are  bold  escarpments,  often  hundreds  or  thou 
sands  of  feet  in  altitude,  great  geographic  steps,  scores  or  hundreds  of  miles 
in  length,  presenting  steep  faces  of  rock,  often  quite  vertical. 

Having  climbed  one  of  these  steps,  you  may  descend  by  a  gentle,  some 
times  imperceptible,  slope  to  the  foot  of  another.  They  will  thus  present  a 
series  of  terraces,  the  steps  of  which  are  well-defined  escarpments  of  rock. 
The  lateral  extension  of  such  a  line  of  cliffs  is  usually  very  irregular;  sharp 
salients  are  projected  on  the  plains  below,  and  deep  recesses  are  cut  into  the 
terraces  above. 

Intermittent  streams  coming  down  the  cliffs  have  cut  many  canons  or 
canon  valleys,  by  which  the  traveler  may  pass  from  the  plain  below  to  the 
terrace  above  By  these  gigantic  stairways,  you  may  ascend  to  high  plateaus, 
covered  with  forests  of  pine  and  fir. 

The  region  is  further  diversified  by  short  ranges  of  eruptive  mountains. 
A  vast  system  of  fissures — huge  cracks  in  the  rocks  to  the  depths  below — 
extends  across  the  country.  From  these  crevices,  floods  of  lava  have  poured, 
covering  mesas  and  table  lands  with  sheets  of  black  basalt.  The  expiring 
energies  of  these  volcanic  agencies  have  piled  up  huge  cinder-cones,  that 
stand  along  the  fissures,  red,  brown,  and  black,  naked  of  vegetation,  and 
conspicuous  landmarks,  set,  as  they  are,  in  contrast  to  the  bright,  varie 
gated  rocks  of  sedimentary  origin. 

These  canon  gorges,  obstructing  cliffs  and  desert  wastes,  have  prevented 
the  traveler  from  penetrating  the  country,  so  that,  until  the  Colorado  River 
Exploring  Expedition  was  organized,  it  was  almost  unknown.  Yet  enough 
had  been  seen  to  foment  rumor,  and  many  wonderful  stories  have  been  told 
in  the  hunter's  cabin  and  prospector's  camp.  Stories  were  related  of  parties 
entering  the  gorge  in  boats,  and  being  carried  down  with  fearful  velocity  into 
whirlpools,  where  all  were  overwhelmed  in  the  abyss  of  waters ;  others,  of 


CASfON  MYTH.  7 

underground  passages  for  the  great  river,  into  which  boats  had  passed  never 
to  be  seen  again.  It  was  currently  believed  that  the  river  was  lost  under 
the  rocks  for  several  hundred  miles.  There  were  other  accounts  of  great 
falls,  whose  roaring  music  could  be  heard  on  the  distant  mountain-summits. 
There  were  many  stories  current  .of  parties  wandering  on  the  brink  of  the 
canon,  vainly  endeavoring  to  reach  the  waters  below,  and  perishing  with  thirst 
at  last  in  sight  of  the  river  which  was  roaring  its  mockery  into  dying  ears. 

The  Indians,  too,  have  woven  the  mysteries  of  the  caiions  into  the 
myths  of  their  religion.  Long  ago,  there  was  a  great  and  wise  chief,  who 
mourned  the  death  of  his  wife,  and  would  not  be  comforted  until  Ta-vwoats, 
one  of  the  Indian  gods,  came  to  him,  and  told  him  she  was  in  a  happier  land, 
and  offered  to  take  him  there,  that  he  might  see  for  himself,  if,  upon  his 
return,  he  would  cease  to  mourn.  The  great  chief  promised.  Then 
Ta-vwoats  made  a  trail  through 'the  mountains  that  intervene  between  that 
beautiful  land,  the  balmy  region  in  the  great  west,  and  this,  the  desert  home 
of  the  poor  Nu'-ma. 

This  trail  was  the  canon  gorge  of  the  Colorado.  Through  it  he  led 
him;  and,  when  they  had  returned,  the  deity  exacted  from  the  chief  a  promise 
that  he  would  tell  no  one  of  the  joys  of  that  land,  lest,  through  discontent 
with  the  circumstances  of  this  world,  they  should  desire  to  go  to  heaven. 
Then  he  rolled  a  river  into  the  gorge,  a  mad,  raging  stream,  that  should 
engulf  any  that  might  attempt  to  enter  thereby. 

More  than  once  have  I  been  warned  by  the  Indians  not  to  enter  this 
canon.  They  considered  it  disobedience  to  the  gods  and  contempt  for  their 
authority,  and  believed  that  it  would  surely  bring  upon  me  their  wrath. 

For  two  years  previous  to  the  exploration,  I  had  been  making  some 
geological  studies  among  the  heads  of  the  canons  leading  to  the  Colorado, 
and  a  desire  to  explore  the  Grand  Canon  itself  grew  upon  me.  Early  in 
the  spring  of  1869,  a  small  party  was  organized  for  this  purpose.  Boats 
were  built  in  Chicago,  and  transported  by  rail  to  the  point  where  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  crosses  the  Green  River.  With  these  we  were  to  descend 
the  Green  into  the  Colora-do,  and  the  Colorado  down  to  the  foot  of  the  Grand 
Canon. 


CHAPTER    II. 

FROM    GREEN    RIVER   CITY    TO    FLAMING    GORGE. 

May  24,  1869. — The  good  people  of  Green  River  City  turn  out  to  see 
us  start.  We  raise  our  little  flag,  push  the  boats  from  shore,  and  the  swift 
current  carries  us  down. 

Our  boats  are  four  in  number.  Three  are  built  of  oak;  stanch  and 
firm ;  doubled-ribbed,  with  double  stem  and  stern  posts,  and  further  strength 
ened  by  bulkheads,  dividing  each  into  three  compartments. 

Two  of  these,  the  fore  and  aft,  are  decked,  forming  water-tight  cabins. 
It  is  expected  these  will  buoy  the  boats  should  the  waves  roll  over  them  in 
rough  water.  The  little  vessels  are  twenty-one  feet  long,  and,  taking  out  the 
cargoes,  can  be  carried  by  four  men. 

The  fourth  boat  is  made  of  pine,  very  light,  but  sixteen  feet  in  length, 
with  a  sharp  cut- water,  and  every  way  built  for  fast  rowing,  and  divided 
into  compartments  as  the  others. 

We  take  with  us  rations  deemed  sufficient  to  last  ten  months  ;  for  we 
expect,  when  winter  comes  on  and  the  river  is  filled  with  ice,  to  lie  over  at 
some  point  until  spring  arrives;  so  we  take  with  us  abundant  supplies  of 
clothing.  We  have  also  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition  and  two  or  three 
dozen  traps.  For  the  purpose  of  building  cabins,  repairing  boats,  and  meet 
ing  other  exigencies,  we  are  supplied  with  axes,  hammers,  saws,  augers,  and 
other  tools,  and  a  quantity  of  nails  and  screws.  For  scientific  work,  we 
have  'two  sextants,  four  chronometers,  a  number  of  barometers,  thermome 
ters,  compasses,  and  other  instruments. 

The  flour  is  divided  into  three  equal  parts;  the  meat  and  all  other  arti 
cles  of  our  rations  in  the  same  way.  Each  of  the  larger  boats  has  an  ax,  ham 
mer,  saw,  auger,  and  other  tools,  so  that  all  are  loaded  alike.  We  distribute 
the  cargoes  in  this  way,  that  we  may  not  be  entirely  destitute  of  some 
important  article  should  any  one  of  the  boats  be  lost.  In  the  small  boat,  we 


Figure  4. — The  start  from  Green  River  Station. 


GREEN  RIVER  BAD-LANDS.  9 

pack  a  part  of  the  scientific  instruments,  three  guns,  and  three  small  bundles 
of  clothing  only.  In  this,  I  proceed  in  advance,  to  explore  the  channel. 

J.  C.  Surnner  and  William  H.  Dunn  are  my  boatmen  in  the  "Emma 
Dean;"  then  follows  "Kitty  Clyde's  Sister,"  manned  by  W.  H.  Powell 
and  G.  Y.  Bradley ;  next,  the  "No^Iame,"  with  0.  G.  Rowland,  Seneca  How- 
land,  and  Frank  Goodman ;  and  last  comes  the  "  Maid  of  the  Canon,"  with 
W.  R.  Hawkins  and  Andrew  Hall. 

Our  boats  are  heavily  loaded,  and  only  with  the  utmost  care  is  it  possi 
ble  to  float  in  the  rough  river  without  shipping  water. 

A  mile  or  two  below  town,  we  run  on  a  sand-bar.  The  men  jump  into 
the  stream,  and  thus  lighten  the  vessels,  so  that  they  drift  over;  and  on  we  go. 
In  trying  to  avoid  a  rock,  an  oar  is  broken  on  one  of  the  boats,  and,  thus 
crippled,  she  strikes.  The  current  is  swift,  and  she  is  sent  reeling  and  rock 
ing  into  the  eddy.  In  the  confusion,  two  others  are  lost  overboard  and  the 
men  seem  quite  discomfited,  much  to  the  amusement  of  the  other  members 
of  the  party. 

Catching  the  oars  and  starting  again,  the  boats  are  once  more  borne 
down  the  stream  ufltil  we  land  at  a  small  cottonwood  grove  on  the  bank, 
and  camp  for  noon. 

During  the  afternoon,  we  run  down  to  a  point  where  the  river  sweeps 
the  foot  of  an  overhanging  cliff,  and  here  we  camp  for  the  night.  The  sun 
is  yet  two  hours  high,  so  I  climb  the  cliffs,  and  walk  back  among  the 
strangely  carved  rocks  of  the  Green  River  bad-lands.  These  are  sandstones 
and  shales,  gray  and  buff,  red  and  brown,  blue  and  black  strata  in  many 
alternations,  lying  nearly  horizontal,  and  almost  without  soil  and  vegetation. 
They  are  very  friable,  and  the  rain  and  streams  have  carved  them  into  quaint 
shapes.  Barren  desolation  is  stretched  before  me ;  and  yet  there  is  a  beauty 
in  the  scene.  The  fantastic  carving,  imitating  architectural  forms,  and  sug 
gesting  rude  but  weird  statuary,  with  the  bright  and  varied  colors  of  the 
rocks,  conspire  to  make  a  scene  such  as  the  dweller  in  verdure-clad  hills  can 
scarcely  appreciate. 

Standing  on  a  high  point,  I  can  look  off  in  every  direction  over  a  vast 
landscape,  with  salient  rocks  and  cliffs  glittering  in  the  evening  sun.  Dark 
shadows  are  settling  in  the  valleys  and  gulches,  and  the  heights  are  made 
2  COL 


10      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

higher  and  the  depths  deeper  by  the  glamour  and  witchery  of  light  and 
shade. 

Away  to  the  south,  the  Uinta  Mountains  stretch  in  a  long  line ;  high 
peaks  thrust  into  the  sky,  and  snow-fields  glittering  like  lakes  of  molten 
silver;  and  pine-forests  in  somber  green;  and  rosy  clouds  playing  around 
the  borders  of  huge,  black  masses;  and  heights  and  clouds,  and  mountains 
and  snow-fields,  and  forests  and  rock-lands,  are  blended  into  one  grand  view. 
Now  the  sun  goes  down,  and  I  return  to  camp. 

May  25. — We  start  early  this  morning,  and  run  along  at  a  good  rate 
until  about  nine  o'clock,  when  we  are  brought  up  on  a  gravelly  bar.  All 
jump  out,  and  help  the  boats  over  by  main  strength.  Then  a  rain  comes  on, 
and  river  and  clouds  conspire  to  give  us  a  thorough  drenching.  Wet,  chilled, 
and  tired  to  exhaustion,  we  stop  at  a  cottonwood  grove  on  the  bank,  build  a 
huge  fire,  make  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  are  soon  refreshed  and  quite  merry. 
When  the  clouds  "get  out  of  our  sunshine,"  we  start  again.  A  few  miles 
farther  down,  a  flock  of  mountain-sheep  are  seen  on  a  cliff  to  the  right.  The 
boats  are  quietly  tied  up,  and  three  or  four  men  go  after  them.  In  the 
course  of  two  or  three  hours,  they  return.  The  cook  has  been  successful  in 
bringing  down  a  fat  lamb.  The  unsuccessful  hunters  taunt  him  with  finding 
it  dead;  but  it  is  soon  dressed,  cooked,  and  eaten,  making  a  fine  four  o'clock 
dinner. 

"All  aboard,"  and  down  the  river  for  another  dozen  miles.  On  the  way, 
we  pass  the  mouth  of  Black's  Fork,  a  dirty  little  stream  that  seems  some 
what  swollen.  Just  below  its  mouth,  we  land  and  camp. 

May  26. — To-day,  we  pass  several  curiously-shaped  buttes,  standing 
between  the  west  bank  of  the  river  and  the  high  bluffs  beyond.  These 
buttes  are  outliers  of  the  same  beds  of  rocks  exposed  on  the  faces  of  the 
bluffs ;  thinly  laminated  shales  and  sandstones  of  many  colors,  standing 
above  in  vertical  cliffs,  and  buttressed  below  with  a  water-carved  talus ;  some 
of  them  attain  an  altitude  of  nearly  a  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
river. 

We  glide  quietly  down  the  placid  stream  past  the  carved  cliffs  of  the 
mauvaises  terres,  now  and  then  obtaining  glimpses  of  distant  mountains. 




Figure  5.— Indian  camp  on^Henry'a  Fork. 


FLAMING  GORGE.  11 

Occasionally,  deer  are  started  from  the  glades  among  the  willows;  and  several 
wild  geese,  after  a  chase  through  the  water,  are  shot. 

After  din'ner,  we  pass  through  a  short,  narrow  canon  into  a  broad  valley; 
from  this,  long,  lateral  valleys  stretch  back  on  either  side  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  reach. 

Two  or  three  miles  below,  Henry's  Fork  enters  from  the  right.  We  land 
a  short  distance  above  the  junction,  where  a  cache  of  instruments  and  rations 
was  made  several  months  ago,  in  a  cave  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  a  distance 
back  from  the  river.  Here  it  was  safe  from  the  elements  and  wild  beasts, 
but  not  from  man.  Some  anxiety  is  felt,  as  we  have  learned  that  a  party  of 
Indians  have  been  camped  near  it  for  several  weeks.  Our  fears  are  soon 
allayed,  for  we  find  it  all  right.  Our  chronometer  wheels  are  not  taken  for 
hair  ornaments;  our  barometer  tubes,  for  beads;  nor  the  sextant  thrown  into 
the  river  as  "bad  medicine,"  as  had  been  predicted. 

Taking  up  our  cache,  we  pass  down  to  the  foot  of  the  Uinta  Mount 
ains,  and,  in  a  cold  storm,  go  into  camp. 

The  river  is  running  to  the  south;  the  mountains  have  an  easterly  and 
westerly  trend  directly  athwart  its  course,  yet  it  glides  on  in  a  quiet  way  as 
if  it  thought*  a  mountain  range  no  formidable  obstruction  to  its  course.  It 
enters  the  range  by  a  flaring,  brilliant,  red  gorge,  that  may  be  seen  from 
the  north  a  score  of  miles  away. 

The  great  mass  of  the  mountain-ridge  through  which  the  gorge  is  cut  is 
composed  of  bright  vermilion  rocks;  but  they  are  surmounted  by  broad 
bands  of  mottled  buff  and  gray,  and  these  bands  come  down  with  a  gentle 
curve  to  the  water's  edge  on  the  nearer  slope  of  the  mountain. 

This  is  the  head  of  the  first  canon  we  are  about  to  explore — an  intro 
ductory  one  to  a  series  made  by  the  river  through  this  range.  We  name  it 
Flaming  Gorge.  The  cliffs  or  walls  we  find,  on  measurement,  to  be  about 
one  thousand  two  hundred  feet  high. 

May  27. — To-day  it  rains,  and  we  employ  the  time  in  repairing  one  of 
our  barometers,  which  was  broken  on  the  way  from  New  York.  A  new  tube 
has  to  be  put  in;  that  is,  a  long  glass  tube  has  to  be  filled  with  mercury  four 
or  five  inches  at  a  time,  and  each  installment  boiled  over  a  spirit-lamp.  It 


12      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

is  a  delicate  task  to  do  this  without  breaking  the  glass;  but  we  have  success, 
and  are  ready  to  measure  mountains  once  more. 

May  28. — To-day  we  go  to  the  summit  of  the  cliff  on  the  left  and  take 
observations  for  altitude,  and  are  variously  employed  in  topographic  and 
geological  work. 

May  29. — This  morning,  Bradley  and  I  cross  the  river,  and  climb  more 
than  a  thousand  feet  to  a  point  where  we  can  see  the  stream  sweeping  in  a 
long,  beautiful  curve  through  the  gorge  below.  Turning  and  looking  to  the 
west,  we  can  see  the  valley  of  Henry's  Fork,  through  which,  for  many  miles, 
the  little  river  flows  in  a  tortuous  channel.  Cottonwood  groves  are  planted 
here  and  there  along  its  course,  and  between  them  are  stretches  of  grass  land. 
The  narrow  mountain  valley  is  inclosed  on  either  side  by  sloping  walls  of 
naked  rock  of  many  bright  colors.  To  the  south  of  the  valley  are  the 
Uintas,  and  the  peaks  of  the  Wasatch  Mountains  can  be  faintly  seen  in  the 
far  west.  To  the  north,  desert  plains,  dotted  here  and  there  with  curiously 
carved  hills  and  buttes,  extend  to  the  limit  of  vision. 

For  many  years,  this  valley  has  been  the  home  of  a  number  of  mount 
aineers,  who  were  originally  hunters  and  trappers,  living  with  the  Indians. 
Most  of  them  have  one  or  more  Indian  wives.  They  no  longer  roam  with 
the  nomadic  tribes  in  pursuit  of  buckskin  or  beaver,  but  have  accumulated 
herds  of  cattle  and  horses,  and  consider  themselves  quite  well-to-do.  Some 
of  them  have  built  cabins;  others  still  live  in  lodges. 

John  Baker  is  one  of  the  most  famous  of  these  men ;  and,  from  our  point 
of  view,  we  can  see  his  lodge  three  or  four  miles  up  the  river. 

The  distance  from  Green  River  City  to  Flaming  Gorge  is  sixty -two 
miles.  The  river  runs  between  bluffs,  in  some  places  standing  so  close  to 
each  other  that  no  flood-plain  is  seen.  At  such  a  point,  the  river  might  pro 
perly  be  said  to  run  through  a  canon.  The  bad-lands  on  either  side  are  inter 
rupted  here  and  there  by  patches  of  Artemesia,  or  sage-brush.  Where  there 
is  a  flood -plain  along  either  side  of  the  river,  a  few  cottonwoods  may  be  seen. 


Figure  6.— Camp  at  Flaming  Gorge. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FROM  FLAMING  GORGE  TO  THE  GATE  OF  LODORE. 

You  must  not  think  of  a  mountain-range  as  a  line  of  peaks  standing  on 
a  plain,  but  as  a  broad  platform  many  miles  wide,  from  which  mountains 
have  been  carved  by  the  waters.  You  must  conceive,  too,  that  this  plateau 
is  cut  by  gulches  and  canons  in  many  directions,  and  that  beautiful  valleys 
are  scattered  about  at  different  altitudes.  The  first  series  of  canons  we  are 
about  to  explore  constitutes  a  river  channel  through  such  a  range  of  mount 
ains.  The  canon  is  cut  nearly  half-way  through  the  range,  then  turns  to 
the  east,  and  is  cut  along  the  central  line,  or  axis,  gradually  crossing  it  to  the 
south.  Keeping  this  direction  for  more  than  fifty  miles,  it  then  turns  abruptly 
to  a  southwest  course,  and  goes  diagonally  through  the  southern  slope  of  the 
range. 

This  much  we  knew  before  entering,  as  we  made  a  partial  exploration 
of  the  region  last  fall,  climbing  many  of  its  peaks,  and  in  a  few  places  reach 
ing  the  brink  of  the  canon  walls,  and  looking  over  precipices,  many  hundreds 
of  feet  high,  to  the  water  below. 

Here  and  there  the  walls  are  broken  by  lateral  canons,  the  channels  of 
little  streams  entering  the  river ;  through  two  or  three  of  these,  we  found  our 
way  down  to  the  Green  in  early  winter,  and  walked  along  the  low  water- 
beach  at  the  -foot  of  the  cliffs  for  several  miles.  Where  the  river  has  this 
general  easterly  direction,  the  western  part  only  has  cut  for  itself  a  canon, 
while  the  eastern  has  formed  a  broad  valley,  called,  in  honor  of  an  old-time 
trapper,  Brown's  Park,  and  long  known  as  a  favorite  winter  resort  for 
mountain  men  and  Indians. 

May  30. — This  morning  we  are  ready  to  enter  the  mysterious  canon, 
and  start  with  some  anxiety.  The  old  mountaineers  tell  us  that  it  cannot 
be  run ;  the  Indians  say,  "Water  heap  catch  'em,"  but  all  are  eager  for  the 
trial,  and  off  we  go. 


14      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

Entering  Flaming  Gorge,  we  quickly  run  through  it  on  a  swift  cur 
rent,  and  emerge  into  a  little  park.  Half  a  mile  below,  the  river  wheels 
sharply  to  the  left,  and  we  turned  into  another  canon  cut  into  the  mountain. 
We  enter  the  narrow  passage.  On  either  side,  the  walls  rapidly  increase  in 
altitude.  On  the  left  are  overhanging  ledges  and  cliffs  five  hundred — a 
thousand — fifteen  hundred  feet  high. 

On  the  right,  the  rocks  are  broken  and  ragged,  and  the  water  fills  the 
channel  from  cliff  to  cliff.  Now  the  river  turns  abruptly  around  a  point  to 
the  right,  and  the  waters  plunge  swiftly  down  among  great  rocks ;  and  here 
we  have  our  first  experience  with  canon  rapids.  I  stand  up  on  the  deck  of 
my  boat  to  seek  a  way  among  the  wave  beaten  rocks.  All  untried  as  we 
are  with  such  waters,  the  moments  are  filled  with  intense  anxiety.  Soon 
our  boats  reach  the  swift  current ;  a  stroke  or  two,  now  on  this  side,  now  on 
that,  and  we  thread  the  narrow  passage  with  exhilarating  velocity,  mount 
ing  the  high  waves,  whose  foaming  crests  dash  over  us,  and  plunging  into  the 
troughs,  until  we  reach  the  quiet  water  below;  and  then  comes  a  feeling  of 
great  relief.  Our  first  rapid  is  run.  Another  mile,  and  we  come  into  the 
valley  again. 

Let  me  explain  this  canon.  Where  the  river  turns  to  the  left  above,  it 
takes  a  course  directly  into  the  mountain,  penetrating  to  its  very  heart,  then 
wheels  back  upon  itself,  and  runs  out  into  the  valley  from  which  it  started 
only  half  a  mile  below  the  point  at  which  it  entered ;  so  the  canon  is  in  the 
form  of  an  elongated  letter  U,  with  the  apex  in  the  center  of  the  mountain. 
We  name  it  Horseshoe  Canon. 

Soon  we  leave  the  valley,  and  enter  another  short  canon,  very  narrow 
at  first,  but  widening  below  as  the  caiion  walls  increase  in  height.  Here 
we  discover  the  mouth  of  a  beautiful  little  creek,  coming  down  through  its 
narrow  water  worn  cleft.  Just  at  its  entrance  there  is  a  park  of  two  or  three 
hundred  acres,  walled  on  every  side  by  almost  vertical  cliffs,  hundreds  of 
feet  in  altitude,  with  three  gateways  through  the  walls — one  up,  another 
down  the  river,  and  a  third  passage  through  which  the  creek  comes  in.  The 
river  is  broad,  deep,  and  quiet,  and  its  waters  mirror  towering  rocks. 

Kingfishers  are  playing  about  the  streams,  and  so  we  adopt  as  names 


BEEHIVE  POINT.  15 

Kingfisher  Creek,  Kingfisher  Park,  and  Kingfisher  Canon.  At  night,  we  camp 
at  the  foot  of  this  canon. 

Our  general  course  this  day  has  been  south,  but  here  the  river  turns  to 
the  east  around  a  point  which  is  rounded  to  the  shape  of  a  dome,  and  on  its 
sides  little  cells  have  been  carve^l  by  the  action  of  the  water;  and  in  these 
pits,  which  cover  the  face  of  the  dome,  hundreds  of  swallows  have  built  their 
nests.  As  they  flit  about  the  cliffs,  they  look  like  swarms  of  bees,  giving  to 
the  whole  the  appearance  of  a  colossal  beehive  of  the  old  time  form,  and 
so  we  name  it  Beehive  Point. 

The  opposite  wall  is  a  vast  amphitheater,  rising  in  a  succession  of  ter 
races  to  a  height  of  1,200  or  1,500  feet.  Each  step  is  built  of  red  sandstone, 
with  a  face  of  naked,  red  rock,  and  a  glacis  clothed  with  verdure.  So  the  am 
phitheater  seems  banded  red  and  green,  and  the  evening  sun  is  playing  with 
roseate  flashes  on  the  rocks,  with  shimmering  green  on  the  cedars'  spray,  and 
iridescent  gleams  on  the  dancing  waves.  The  landscape  revels  in  the  sunshine. 

May  31. — We  start  down  another  canon,  and  reach  rapids  made  danger 
ous  by  high  rocks  lying  in  the  channel;  so  we  run  ashore,  and  let  our  boats 
down  with  lines.  In  the  afternoon  we  come  to  more  dangerous  rapids,  and 
stop  to  examine  them.  I  find  we  must  do  the  same  work  again,  but,  being 
on  the  wrong  side  of  the  river  to  obtain  a  foothold,  must  first  cross  over — no 
very  easy  matter  in  such  a  current,  with  rapids  and  rocks  below.  We  take 
the  pioneer  boat  "Emma  Dean"  over,  and  unload  her  on  the  bank;  then  she 
returns  and  takes  another  load.  Running  back  and  forth,  she  soon  has  half 
our  cargo  over;  then  one  of  the  larger  boats  is  manned  and  taken  across,  but 
earned  down  almost  to  the  rocks  in  spite  of  hard  rowing.  The  other  boats 
follow  and  make  the  landing,  and  we  go  into  camp  for  the  night. 

At  the  foot  of  the  cliff  on  this  side,  there  is  a  long  slope  covered  with 
pines ;  under  these  we  make  our  beds,  and  soon  after  sunset  are  seeking  rest 
and  sleep.  The  cliffs  on  either  side  are  of  red  sandstone,  and  stretch  up 
toward  the  heavens  2,500  feet.  On  this  side,  the  long,  pine  clad  slope  is 
surmounted  by  perpendicular  cliffs,  with  pines  on  their  summits.  The  wall 
on  the  other  side  is  bare  rock  from  the  water's  edge  up  2,000  feet,  then 
slopes  back,  giving  footing  to  pines  and  cedars. 

As  the  twilight  deepens,  the  rocks  grow  dark  and  somber ;  the  threat- 


16  EXPLORATION  OP  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

ening  roar  of  the  water  is  loud  and  constant,  and  I  lie  awake  with  thoughts 
of  the  morrow  and  the  canons  to  come,  interrupted  now  and  then  by  char 
acteristics  of  the  scenery  that  attract  my  attention.  And  here  I  make  a 
discovery.  On  looking  at  the  mountain  directly  in  front,  the  steepness  of 
the  slope  is  greatly  exaggerated,  while  the  distance  to  its  summit  and  its  true 
altitude  are  correspondingly  diminished.  I  have  heretofore  found  that  to 
properly  judge  of  the  slope  of  a  mountain  side,  you  must  see  it  in  profile. 
In  coming  down  the  river  this  afternoon,  I  observed  the  slope  of  a  particular 
part  of  the  wall,  and  made  an  estimate  of  its  altitude.  While  at  supper,  I 
noticed  the  same  cliff  from  a  position  facing  it,  and  it  seemed  steeper,  but 
not  half  as  high.  Now  lying  on  my  side  and  looking  at  it,  the  true  propor 
tions  appear.  This  seems  a  wonder,  and  I  rise  up  to  take  a  view  of  it  stand 
ing.  It  is  the  same  cliff  as  at  supper  time.  Lying  down  again,  it  is  the 
cliff  as  seen  in  profile,  with  a  long  slope  and  distant  summit.  Musing  on 
this,  I  forget  "the  morrow  and  the  canons  to  come."  I  find  a  way  to  esti 
mate  the  altitude  and  slope  of  an  inclination  as  I  can  judge  of  distance  along 
the  horizon.  The  reason  is  simple.  A  reference  to  the  stereoscope  will 
suggest  it.  The  distance  between  the  eyes  forms  a  base-line  for  optical 
triangulation. 

June  1. — To-day  we  have  an  exciting  ride.  The  river  rolls  down  the 
canon  at  a  wonderful  rate,  and,  with  no  rocks  in  the  way,  we  make  almost 
railroad  speed.  Here  and  there  the  water  rushes  into  a  narrow  gorge;  the 
rocks  on  the  side  roll  it  into  the  center  in  great  waves,  and  the  boats  go 
leaping  and  bounding  over  these  like  things  of  life.  They  remind  me  of 
scenes  witnessed  in  Middle  Park ;  herds  of  startled  deer  bounding  through 
forests  beset  with  fallen  timber.  I  mention  the  resemblance  to  some  of  the 
hunters,  and  so  striking  is  it  that  it  comes  to  be  a  common  expression,  "See 
the  black-tails  jumping  the  logs."  At  times  the  waves  break  and  roll  over 
the  boats,  which  necessitates  much  bailing,  and  obliges  us  to  stop  occasion 
ally  for  that  purpose.  At  one  time,  we  run  twelve  miles  in  an  hour,  stop 
pages  included. 

Last  spring,  I  had  a  conversation  with  an  old  Indian  named  Pa'-ri-ats, 
who  told  me  about  one  of  his  tribe  attempting  to  run  this  canon.  "The 
rocks,"  he  said,  holding  his  hands  above  his  head,  his  arms  vertical,  and 


Figure  7. — Pa'-ri-ats. 


ASHLEY  FALLS.  17 

looking  between  them  to  the  heavens,  "the  rocks  h-e-a-p,  h-e-a-p  high;  the 
water  go  h-oo-woogh,  h-oo-woogh;  water-pony  (boat)  h-e-a-p  buck;  water 
catch  'em ;  no  see  'em  Injun  any  more  !  no  see  'em  squaw  any  more !  no  see 
'em  pappoose  any  more!" 

Those  who  have  seen  these  >wild  Indian  ponies  rearing  alternately 
before  and  behind,  or  "bucking,"  as  it  is  called  in  the  vernacular,  will  appre 
ciate  his  description. 

At  last  we  come  to  calm  water,  and  a  threatening  roar  is  heard  in  the 
distance.  Slowly  approaching  the  point  whence  the  sound  issues,  we  come 
near  to  falls,  and  tie  up  just  above  them  on  the  left.  Here  we  will  be  com 
pelled  to  make  a  portage;  so  we  unload  the  boats,  and  fasten  a  long  line  to 
the  bow,  and  another  to  the  stem,  of  the  smaller  one,  and  moor  her  close  to 
the  brink  of  the  fall.  Then  the  bow-line  is  taken  below,  and  made  fast ; 
the  stern  line  is  held  by  five  or  six  men,  and  the  boat  let  down  as  long 
as  they  can  hold  her  against  the  rushing  waters ;  then,  letting  go  one  end  of 
the  line,  it  runs  through  the  ring ;  the  boat  leaps  over  the  fall,  and  is  caught 
by  the  lower  rope. 

Now  we  rest  for  the  night. 

June  2. — This  morning  we  make  a  trail  among  the  rocks,  transport  the 
cargoes  to  a  point  below  the  falls,  let  the  remaining  boats  over,  and  are 
ready  to  start  before  noon. 

On  a  high  rock  by  which  the  trail  passes  we  find  the  inscription : 
"Ashley  18—5."  The  third  figure  is  obscure — some  of  the  party  reading  it 
1835,  some  1855. 

James  Baker,  an  old  time  mountaineer,  once  told  me  about  a  party  of 
men  starting  down  the  river,  and  Ashley  was  named  as  one.  The  story  runs 
that  the  boat  was  swamped,  and  some  of  the  party  drowned  in  one  of  the 
canons  below.  The  word  "Ashley"  is  a  warning  to  us,  and  we  resolve  on 
great  caution. 

Ashley  Falls  is  the  name  we  give  to  the  cataract. 

The  river  is  very  narrow;  the  right  wall  vertical  for  two  or  three  hun 
dred  feet,  the  left  towering  to  a  great  height,  with  a  vast  pile  of  broken  rocks 
lying  between  the  foot  of  the  cliff  and  the  water.     Some  of  the  rocks  broken 
down  from  the  ledge  above  have  tumbled  into  the  channel  and  caused 
3  COL 


18      EXPLORATION  OP  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

fall.  One  great  cubical  block,  thirty  or  forty  feet  high,  stands  in  the  middle 
of  the  stream,  and  the  waters,  parting  to  either  side,  plunge  down  about 
twelve  feet,  and  are  broken  again  by  the  smaller  rocks  into  a  rapid  below. 
Immediately  below  the  falls,  the  water  occupies  the  entire  channel,  there 
being  no  talus  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs. 

We  embark,  and  run  down  a  short  distance,  where  we  find  a  landing- 
place  for  dinner. 

On  the  waves  again  all  the  afternoon.  Near  the  lower  end  of  this 
canon,  to  which  we  have  given  the  name  Red  Caiion,  is  a  little  park,  where 
streams  come  down  from  distant  mountain  summits,  and  enter  the  river  on 
either  side;  and  here  we  camp  for  the  night  under  two  stately  pines. 

June  3. — This  morning  we  spread  our  rations,  clothes,  &c.,  on  the 
ground  to  dry,  and  several  of  the  party  go  out  for  a  hunt.  I  take  a  walk 
of  five  or  six  miles  up  to  a  pine  grove  park,  its  grassy  carpet  bedecked  with 
crimson,  velvet  flowers,  set  in  groups  on  the  stems  of  pear  shaped  cactus 
plants ;  patches  of  painted  cups  are  seen  here  and  there,  with  yellow  blos 
soms  protruding  through  scarlet  bracts;  little  blue-eyed  flowers  are  peeping 
through  the  grass;  and  the  air  is  filled  with  fragrance  from  the  white  blossoms 
of  a  Spiraea.  A  mountain  brook  runs  through  the  midst,  ponded  below  by 
beaver  dams.  It  is  a  quiet  place  for  retirement  from  the  raging  waters  of 
the  canon. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  course  of  the  river,  from  Flaming  Gorge 
to  Beehive  Point,  is  in  a  southerly  direction,  and  at  right  angles  to  the  Uinta 
Mountains,  and  cuts  into  the  range  until  it  reaches  a  point  within  five  miles 
of  the  crest,  where  it  turns  to  the  east,  and  pursues  a  course  not  quite  parallel 
to  the  trend  of  the  range,  but  crosses  the  axis  slowly  in  a  direction  a  little 
south  of  east.  '  Thus  there  is  a  triangular  tract  between  the  river  and  the 
axis  of  the  mountain,  with  its  acute  angle  extending  eastward.  I  climb 
a  mountain  overlooking  this  country.  To  the  east,  the  peaks  are  not  very 
high,  and  already  most  of  the  snow  has  melted ;  but  little  patches  lie  here 
and  there  under  the  lee  of  ledges  of  rock.  To  the  west,  the  peaks  grow 
higher  and  the  snow  fields  larger.  Between  the  brink  of  the  canon  and  the 
foot  of  these  peaks,  there  is  a  high  bench.  A  number  of  creeks  have  their 
sources  in  the  snow  banks  to  the  south,  and  run  north  into  the  canon,  turn- 


SWALLOW  CAStON.  19 

bling  down  from  3,000  to  5,000  feet  in  a  distance  of  five  or  six  miles.  Along 
their  upper  courses,  they  run  through  grassy  valleys  ;  but,  as  they  approach 
Red  Caiion,  they  rapidly  disappear  imder  the  general  surface  of  the  country, 
and  emerge  into  the  canon  below  in  deep,  dark  gorges  of  their  own.  Each 
of  these  short  lateral  canons  is  marked  by  a  succession  of  cascades  and 
a  wild  confusion  of  rocks  and  trees  and  fallen  timber  and  thick  under 
growth. 

The  little  valleys  above  are  beautiful  parks ;  between  the  parks  are 
stately  pine  forests,  half  hiding  ledges  of  red  sandstone.  Mule-deer  and  elk 
abound;  grizzly  bears,  too,  are  abundant;  wild  cats,  wolverines,  and  mountain 
lions  are  here  at  home.  The  forest  aisles  are  filled  with  the  music  of  birds, 
and  the  parks  are  decked  with  flowers.  Noisy  brooks  meander  through 
them ;  ledges  of  moss  covered  rocks  are  seen ;  and  gleaming  in  the  distance 
are  the  snow  fields,  and  the  mountain  tops  are  away  in  the  clouds. 

June  4. — We  start  early  and  run  through  to  Brown's  Park.  Half  way 
down  the  valley,  a  spur  of  a  red  mountain  stretches  across  the  river,  which 
cuts  a  canon  through  it.  Here  the  walls  are  comparatively  low,  but  ver 
tical.  A  vast  number  of  swallows  have  built  their  adobe  houses  on  the  face 
of  the  cliffs,  on  either  side  of  the  river.  The  waters  are  deep  and  quiet, 
but  the  swallows  are  swift  and  noisy  enough,  sweeping  by  in  their  curved 
paths  through  the  air,  or  chattering  from  the  rocks.  The  young  birds  stretch 
their  little  heads  on  naked  necks  through  the  doorways  of  their  mud  houses, 
clamoring  for  food.  They  are  a  noisy  people. 

We  call  this  Swallow  Canon. 

Still  down  the  river  we  glide,  until  an  early  hour  in  the  afternoon,  when 
we  go  into  camp  under  a  giant  cottonwood,  standing  on  the  right  bank,  a 
little  way  back  from  the  stream.  The  party  had  succeeded  in  killing  a  fine 
lot  of  wild  ducks,  and  during  the  afternoon  a  mess  of  fish  is  taken. 

June  5. — With  one  of  the  men,  I  climb  a  mountain,  off  on  the  right. 
A  long  spur,  with  broken  ledges  of  rock,  puts  down  to  the  river;  and  along 
its  course,  or  up  the  "hog-back,"  as  it  is  called,  I  make  the  ascent.  Dunn, 
who  is  climbing  to  the  same  point,  is  coming  up  the  gulch.  Two  hours' 
hard  work  has  brought  us  to  the  summit.  These  mountains  are  all  verdure 
clad;  pine  and  cedar  forests  are  set  on  green  terraces;  snow  clad  mountains 


20  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

are  seen  in  the  distance,  to  the  west;  the  plains  of  the  tipper  Green  stretch 
out  before  us,  to  the  north,  until  they  are  lost  in  the  blue  heavens;  but  half 
of  the  river  cleft  range  intervenes,  and  the  river  itself  is  at  our  feet. 

This  half  range,  beyond  the  river,  is  composed  of  long  ridges,  nearly 
parallel  with  the  valley.  On  the  farther  ridge,  to  the  north,  four  creeks 
have  their  sources.  These  cut  through  the  intervening  ridges,  one  of  which 
is  much  higher  than  that  on  which  they  head,  by  canon  gorges;  then  they 
run,  with  gentle  curves,  across  the  valley,  their  banks  set  with  willows,  box- 
elders,  and  cottonwood  groves. 

To  the  east,  we  look  up  the  valley  of  the  Vermilion,  through  which  Fre*- 
mont  found  his  path  on  his  way  to  the  great  parks  of  Colorado. 

The  reading  of  the  barometer  taken,  we  start  down  in  company,  and 
reach  camp  tired  and  hungry,  which  does  not  abate  one  bit  our  enthusiasm, 
as  we  tell  of  the  day's  work,  with  its  glory  of  landscape. 

June  6. — At  daybreak,  I  am  awakened  by  a  chorus  of  birds.  It  seems 
as  if  all  the  feathered  songsters  of  the  region  have  come  to  the  old  tree. 
Several  species  of  warblers,  woodpeckers,  and  flickers  above,  meadow-larks 
in  the  grass,  and  wild  geese  in  the  river.  I  recline  on  my  elbow,  and  watch 
a  lark  near  by,  and  then  awaken  my  bed  fellow,  to  listen  to  my  Jenny  Lind. 
A  morning  concert  for  me;  none  of  your  "matinees" 

Our  cook  has  been  an  ox-driver,  or  " bull- whacker,"  on  the  plains,  in 
one  of  those  long  trains  now  no  longer  seen,  and  he  hasn't  forgotten  his  old 
ways.  In  the  midst  of  the  concert,  his  voice  breaks  in:  "Roll  out!  roll  out! 
bulls  in  the  corral!  chain  up  the  gaps!  Eoll  out!  roll  out!  roll  out!"  And 
this  is  our  breakfast  bell. 

To-day  we  pass  through  the  park,  and  camp  at  the  head  of  another 
canon. 

June  1. — To  day,  two  or  three  of  us  climb  to  the  summit  of  the  cliff, 
on  the  left,  and  find  its  altitude,  above  camp,  to  be  2,086  feet.  The  rocks 
are  split  with  fissures,  deep  and  narrow,  sometimes  a  hundred  feet,  or  more, 
to  the  bottom.  Lofty  pines  find  root  in  the  fissures  that  are  filled  with 
loose  earth  and  decayed  vegetation.  On  a  rock  we  find  a  pool  of  clear, 
cold  water,  caught  from  yesterday  evening's  shower.  After  a  good  drink, 
we  walk  out  to  the  brink  of  the  canon,  and  look  down  to  the  water 


DISTANCES  AND  HEIGHTS.  21 

below.  I  can  do  this  now,  but  it  has  taken  several  years  of  mountain  climb 
ing  to  cool  iny  nerves,  so  that  I  can  sit,  with  my  feet  over  the  edge,  and 
calmly  look  down  a  precipice  2,000  feet.  And  yet  I  cannot  look  on  and 
see  another  do  the  same.  I  must  either  bid  him  come  away,  or  turn  my 
head. 

The  canon  walls  are  buttressed  on  a  grand  scale,  with  deep  alcoves 
intervening;  columned  crags  crown  the  cliffs,  and  the  river  is  rolling  below. 

When  we  return  to  camp,  at  noon,  the  sun  shines  in  splendor  on  ver 
milion  walls,  shaded  into  green  and  gray,  where  the  rocks  are  lichened  over ; 
the  river  fills  the  channel  from  wall  to  wall,  and  the  canon  opens,  like  a 
beautiful  portal,  to  a  region  of  glory. 

This  evening,  as  I  write,  the  sun  is  going  down,  and  the  shadows  are 
settling  in  the  canon.  The  vermilion  gleams  and  roseate  hues,  blending 
with  the  green  and  gray  tints,  are  slowly  changing  to  somber  brown  above, 
and  black  shadows  are  creeping  over  them  below;  and  now  it  is  a  dark 
portal  to  a  region  of  gloom — the  gateway  through  which  we  are  to  enter 
on  our  voyage  of  exploration  to-morrow.  What  shall  we  find? 


The  distance  from  Flaming  Gorge  to  Beehive  Point  is  nine  and  two- 
thirds  miles.  Besides,  passing  through  the  gorge,  the  river  runs  through 
Horseshoe  and  Kingfisher  Canons,  separated  by  short  valleys.  The  high 
est  point  on  the  walls,  at  Flaming  Gorge,  is  1,300  feet  above  the  river.  The 
east  wall,  at  the  apex  of  Horseshoe  Canon,  is  about  1,600  feet  above  the 
water's  edge,  and,  from  this  point,  the  walls  slope  both  to  the  head  and  foot 
of  the  canon. 

Kingfisher  Canon,  starting  at  the  water's  edge  above,  steadily  increases 
in  altitude  to  1,200  feet  at  the  foot. 

Red  Canon  is  twenty-five  and  two-thirds  miles  long,  and  the  highest 
walls  are  about  2,500  feet. 

Brown's  Park  is  a  valley,  bounded  on  either  side  by  a  mountain  range, 
really  an  expansion  of  the  canon.  The  river,  through  the  park,  is  thirty  five 
and  a  half  miles  long,  but  passes  through  two  short  canons,  on  its  way, 
where  spurs,  from  the  mountains  on  the  south,  are  thrust  across  its  course. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  CANON  OF  LODORE. 

June  8. — We  enter  the  canon,  and,  until  noon,  find  a  succession  of  rap 
ids,  over  which  our  boats  have  to  be  taken. 

Here  I  must  explain  our  method  of  proceeding  at  such  places.  The 
"Emma  Dean"  goes  in  advance;  the  other  boats  follow,  in  obedience  to  sig 
nals.  When  we  approach  a  rapid,  or  what,  on  other  rivers,  would  often  be 
called  a  fall,  I  stand  on  deck  to  examine  it,  while  the  oarsmen  back  water, 
and  we  drift  on  as  slowly  as  possible.  If  I  can  see  a  clear  chute  between 
the  rocks,  away  we  go ;  but  if  the  channel  is  beset  entirely  across,  we  signal 
the  other  boats,  pull  to  land,  and  I  walk  along  the  shore  for  closer  exami 
nation.  If  this  reveals  no  clear  channel,  hard  work  begins.  We  drop  the 
boats  to  the  very  head  of  the  dangerous  place,  and  let  them  over  by  lines, 
or  make  a  portage,  frequently  carrying  both  boats  and  cargoes  over  the 
rocks,  or,  perhaps,  only  the  cargoes,  if  it  is  safe  to  let  the  boats  down. 

The  waves  caused  by  such  falls  in  a  river  differ  much  from  the  waves 
of  the  sea.  The  water  of  an  ocean  wave  merely  rises  and  falls ;  the  form 
only  passes  on,  and  form  chases  form  unceasingly.  A  body  floating  on 
such  waves  merely  rises  and  sinks — does  not  progress  unless  impelled  by 
wind  or  some  other  power.  But  here,  the  water  of  the  wave  passes  on, 
while  the  form  remains.  The  waters  plunge  down  ten  or  twenty  feet,  to  the 
foot  of  a  fall ;  spring  up  again  in  a  great  wave ;  then  down  and  up,  in  a 
series  of  billows,  that  gradually  disappear  in  the  more  quiet  waters  below ; 
but  these  waves  are  always  there,  and  you  can  stand  above  and  count  them. 

A  boat  riding  such,  leaps  and  plunges  along  with  great  velocity.  Now, 
the  difficulty  in  riding  over  these  falls,  when  the  rocks  are  out  of  the  way, 
is  in  the  first  wave  at  the  foot.  This  will  sometimes  gather  for  a  moment, 
heaping  up  higher  and  higher,  until  it  breaks  back.  If  the  boat  strikes  it 
the  instant  after  it  breaks,  she  cuts  through,  and  the  mad  breaker  dashes  its 
spray  over  the  boat,  and  would  wash  us  overboard  did  we  not  cling  tight. 


Figure  8. — Gate  of  Lodore. 


CLIFF  OF  THE  HARP.  23 

If  the  boat,  in  going  over  the  falls,  chances  to  get  caught  in  some  side  cur 
rent,  and  is  turned  from  its  course,  so  as  to  strike  the  wave  "broadside  on," 
and  the  wave  breaks  at  the  same  instant,  the  boat  is  capsized.  Still,  we  must 
cling  to  her,  for,  the  water  tight  compartments  acting  as  buoys,  she  cannot 
sink  ;  and  so  we  go,  dragged  througli  the  waves,  until  still  waters  are  reached. 
We  then  right  the  boat,  and  climb  aboard.  We  have  several  such  experi 
ences  to  day. 

At  night,  we  camp  on  the  right  bank,  on  a  little  shelving  rock,  between 
the  river  and  the  foot  of  the  cliff;  and  with  night  comes  gloom  into  these 
great  depths. 

After  supper,  we  sit  by  our  camp  fire,  made  of  drift  wood  caught  by 
the  rocks,  and  tell  stories  of  wild  life;  for  the  men  have  seen  such  in  the 
mountains,  or  on  the  plains,  and  on  the  battle  fields  of  the  South.  It  is  late 
before  we  spread  our  blankets  on  the  beach. 

Lying  down,  we  look  up  through  the  canon,  and  see  that  only  a  little 
of  the  blue  heaven  appears  overhead — a  crescent  of  blue  sky,  with  two  or 
three  constellations  peering  down  upon  us. 

I  do  not  sleep  for  some  time,  as  the  excitement  of  the  day  has  not  worn 
off.  Soon  I  see  a  bright  star,  that  appears  to  rest  on  the  very  verge  of  the 
cliff  overhead  to  the  east.  Slowly  it  seems  to  float  from  its  resting  place  on 
the  rock  over  the  canon.  At  first,  it  appeared  like  a  jewel  set  on  the  brink 
of  the  cliff ;  but,  as  it  moves  out  from  the  rock,  I  almost  wonder  that  it  does 
not  fall.  In  fact,  it  does  seem  to  descend  in  a  gentle  curve,  as  though  the 
bright  sky  in  which  the  stars  are  set  was  spread  across  the  canon,  resting  on 
either  wall,  and  swayed  down  by  its  own  weight.  The  stars  appear  to  be 
in  the  canon.  I  soon  discover  that  it  is  the  bright  star  Vega,  so  it  occurs  to 
me  to  designate  this  part  of  the  wall  as  the  "Cliff  of  the  Harp." 

June  9. — One  of  the  party  suggests  that  we  call  this  the  Canon  of 
Lodore,  and  the  name  is  adopted.  Very  slowly  we  make  our  way,  often 
climbing  on  the  rocks  at  the  edge  of  the  water  for  a  few  hundred  yards,  to 
examine  the  channel  before  running  it. 

During  the  afternoon,  we  come  to  a  place  where  it  is  necessary  to  make 
a  portage.  The  little  boat  it  landed,  and  the  others  are  signaled  to  come  up. 

When  these  rapids  or  broken  falls  occur,  usually  the  channel  is  sud- 


24      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

denly  narro  tved  by  rocks  which  have  been  tumbled  from  the  cliffs  or  have 
been  washed  in  by  lateral  streams.  Immediately  above  the  narrow,  rocky 
channel,  on  one  or  both  sides,  there  is  often  a  bay  of  quiet  water,  in  which 
we  can  land  with  ease.  Sometimes  the  water  descends  with  a  smooth, 
unruffled  surface,  from  the  broad,  quiet  spread  above,  into  the  narrow, 
angry  channel  below,  by  a  semicircular  sag.  Great  care  must  be  taken  not 
to  pass  over  the  brink  into  this  deceptive  pit,  but  above  it  we  can  row  with 
safety.  I  walk  along  the  bank  to  examine  the  ground,  leaving  one  of  my 
men  with  a  flag  to  guide  the  other  boats  to  the  landing-place.  I  soon  see 
one  of  the  boats  make  shore  all  right  and  feel  no  more  concern ;  but  a 
minute  after,  I  hear  a  shout,  and  looking  around,  see  one  of  the  boats 
shooting  down  the  center  of  the  sag.  It  is  the  "No  Name,"  with  Captain 
Rowland,  his  brother,  and  Goodman.  I  feel  that  its  going  over  is  inevitable, 
and  run  to  save  the  third  boat.  A  minute  more,  and  she  turns  the  point  and 
heads  for  the  shore.  Then  I  turn  down  stream  again,  and  scramble  along 
to  look  for  the  boat  that  has  gone  over.  The  first  fall  is  not  great,  only  ten 
or  twelve  feet,  and  we  often  run  such;  but  below,  the  river  tumbles  down 
again  for  forty  or  fifty  feet,  in  a  channel  filled  with  dangerous  rocks  that 
break  the  waves  into  whirlpools  and  beat  them  into  foam.  I  pass  around  a 
great  crag  just  in  time  to  see  the  boat  strike  a  rock,  and,  rebounding  from 
the  shock,  careen  and  fill  the  open  compartment  with  water.  Two  of  the 
men  lose  their  oars ;  she  swings  around,  and  is  earned  down  at  a  rapid  rate, 
broadside  on,  for  a  few  yards,  and  strikes  amidships  on  another  rock  with 
great  force,  is  broken  quite  in  two,  and  the  men  are  thrown  into  the  river ; 
the  larger  part  of  the  boat  floating  buoyantly,  they  soon  seize  it,  and 
down  the  river  they  drift,  past  the  rocks  for  a  few  hundred  yards  to  a  second 
rapid,  filled  with  huge  boulders,  where  the  boat  strikes  again,  and  is  dashed 
to  pieces,  and  the  men  and  fragments  are  soon  carried  beyond  my  sight. 
Running  along,  I  turn  a  bend,  and  see  a  man's  head  above  the  water,  washed 
about  in  a  whirlpool  below  a  great  rock. 

It  is  Frank  Goodman,  clinging  to  it  with  a  grip  upon  which  life  depends. 
Coming  opposite,  I  see  Howland  trying  to  go  to  his  aid  from  an  island  on 
which  he  has  been  washed.  Soon,  he  comes  near  enough  to  reach  Frank 
with  a  pole,  which  he  extends  toward  him.  The  latter  lets  go  the  rock, 


Figure  9.— Winnie's  Grotto,  a  side  canon.    (Walls  2,OCO  feet  high.) 


FINDING  OF  THE  WRECK.  25 

grasps  the  pole,  and  is  pulled  ashore.  Seneca  Rowland  is  washed  farther 
down  the  island,  and  is  caught  by  some  rocks,  and,  though  somewhat  bruised, 
manages  to  get  ashore  in  safety.  This  seems  a  long  time,  as  I  tell  it,  but 
it  is  quickly  done. 

And  now  the  three  men  are  cm  an  island,  with  a  swift,  dangerous  river 
on  either  side,  and  a  fall  below.  The  "Emma  Dean"  is  soon  brought  down, 
and  Sumner,  starting  above  as  far  as  possible,  pushes  out.  Right  skillfully 
he  plies  the  oars,  and  a  few  strokes  set  him  on  the  island  at  the  proper  point. 
Then  they  all  pull  the  boat  up  stream,  as  far  as  they  are  able,  until  they 
stand  in  water  up  to  their  necks.  One .  sits  on  a  rock,  and  holds  the  boat 
until  the  others  are  ready  to  pull,  then  gives  the  boat  a  push,  clings  to  it 
with  his  hands,  and  climbs  in  as  they  pull  for  mainland,  which  they  reach 
in  safety.  We  are  as  glad  to  shake  hands  with  them  as  though  they  had 
been  on  a  voyage  around  the  world,  and  wrecked  on  a  distant  coast. 

Down  the  river  half  a  mile  we  find  that  the  after  cabin  of  the  wrecked 
boat,  with  a  part  of  the  bottom,  ragged  and  splintered,  has  floated  against 
a  rock,  and  stranded.  There  are  valuable  articles  in  the  cabin;  but,  on 
examination,  we  determine  that  life  should  not  be  risked  to  save  them.  Of 
course,  the  cargo  of  rations,  instruments,  and  clothing  is  gone. 

We  return  to  the  boats,  and  make  camp  for  the  night.  No  sleep  comes 
to  me  in  all  those  dark  hours.  The  rations,  instruments,  and  clothing  have 
been  divided  among  the  boats,  anticipating  such  an  accident  as  this ;  and 
we  started  with  duplicates  of  everything  that  was  deemed  necessary  to 
success.  But,  in  the  distribution,  there  was  one  exception  to  this  precaution, 
and  the  barometers  were  all  placed  in  one  boat,  and  they  are  lost.  There  is 
a  possibility  that  they  are  in  the  cabin  lodged  against  the  rock,  for  that  is 
where  they  were  kept.  But,  then,  how  to  reach  them!  The  river  is  rising. 
Will  they  be  there  to-morrow?  Can  I  go  out  to  Salt  Lake  City,  and  obtain 
barometers  from  New  York? 

June  10. — I  have  determined  to  get  the  barometers  from  the  wreck,  if 
they  are  there.  After  breakfast,  while  the  men  make  the  portage,  I  go  down 
again  for  another  examination.  There  tho  cabin  lies,"  only  carried  fifty  or 
sixty  feet  farther  on. 

Carefully  looking  over  the  ground,  I  am  satisfied  that  it  can  be  reached 
4  COL 


26      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

with  safety,  and  return  to  tell  the  men  my  conclusion.  Sunnier  and  Dunn 
volunteer  to  take  the  little  boat  and  make  the  attempt.  They  start,  reach  it, 
and  out  come  the  barometers;  and  now  the  boys  set  up  a  shout,  and  I  join 
them,  pleased  that  they  should  be  as  glad  to  save  the  instruments  as  myself. 
When  the  boat  lands  on  our  side,  I  find  that  the  only  things  saved  from  the 
wreck  were  the  barometers,  a  package  of  thermometers,  and  a  three  gallon 
keg  of  whisky,  which  is  what  the  men  were  shouting  about.  They  had 
taken  it  aboard,  unknown  to  me,  and  now  I  am  glad  they  did,  for  they  think 
it  will  do  them  good,  as  they  are  drenched  every  day  by  the  melting  snow, 
which  runs  down  from  the  summits  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Now  we  come  back  to  our  work  at  the  portage.  We  find  that  it  is 
necessary  to  carry  our  rations  over  the  rocks  for  nearly  a  mile,  and  let  our 
boats  down  with  lines,  except  at  a  few  points,  where  they  also  must  be 
carried. 

Between  the  river  and  the  eastern  wall  of  the  canon  there  is  an  immense 
talus  of  broken  rocks.  These  have  tumbled  down  from  the  cliff's  above,  and 
constitute  a  vast  pile  of  huge  angular  fragments.  On  these  we  build  a 
path  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  to  a  small  sand  beach  covered  with  drift-wood, 
through  which  we  clear  a  way  for  several  hundred  yards,  then  continue  the 
trail  on  over  another  pile  of  rocks,  nearly  half  a  mile  farther  down,  to  a  little 
bay.  The  greater  part  of  the  day  is  spent  in  this  work.  Then  we  carry 
our  cargoes  down  to  the  beach  and  camp  for  the  night. 

While  the  men  are  building  the  camp  fire,  we  discover  an  iron  bake  oven, 
several  tin  plates,  a  part  of  a  boat,  and  many  other  fragments,  which  denote 
that  this  is  the  place  where  Ashley's  party  was  wrecked. 

June  11. — This  day  is  spen,t  in  carrying  our  rations  down  to  the  bay — 
no  small  task  to  climb  over  the  rocks  with  sacks  of  flour  or  bacon.  We 
carry  them  by  stages  of  about  500  yards  each,  and  when  night  comes,  and 
the  last  sack  is  on  the  beach,  we  are  tired,  bruised,  and  glad  to  sleep. 

June  12. — To-day  we  take  the  boats  down  to  the  bay.  While  at  this 
work,  we  discover  three  sacks  of  flour  from  the  wrecked  boat,  that  have 
lodged  in  the  rocks.  We  carry  them  above  high-water  mark,  and  leave 
them,  as  our  cargoes  are  already  too  heavy  for  the  three  remaining  boats. 
We  also  find  two  or  three  oars,  which  we  place  with  them. 


Figure  10.— Wreck  at  Disaster  Falls. 


DISASTER  FALLS— ASHLEY'S  CREEK.  27 

As  Ashley  and  his  party  were  wrecked  here,  and  as  we  have  lost  one 
of  our  boats  at  the  same  place,  we  adopt  the  name  Disaster  Falls  for  the 
scene  of  so  much  peril  and  loss. 

Though  some  of  his  companions  were  drowned,  Ashley  and  one  other 
survived  the  wreck,  climbed  the  canon  wall,  and  found  their  way  across  the 
Wasatch  Mountains  to  Salt  Lake  City,  living  chiefly  on  berries,  as  they 
wandered  through  an  unknown  and  difficult  country.  When  they  arrived 
at  Salt  Lake,  they  were  almost  destitute  of  clothing,  and  nearly  starved. 
The  Mormon  people  gave  them  food  and  clothing,  and  employed  them  to 
work  on  the  foundation  of  the  Temple,  .until  they  had  earned  sufficient  to 
enable  them  to  leave  the  country.  Of  their  subsequent  history,  I  have  no 
knowledge.  It  is  possible  they  returned  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  as  a 
little  creek  entering  the  river  below  is  known  as  Ashley's  Creek,  and  it  is 
reported  that  he  built  a  cabin  and  trapped  on  this  river  for  one  or  two 
winters ;  but  this  may  have  been  before  the  disaster. 

June  13. — Still  rocks,  rapids,  and  portages. 

We  camp  to-night  at  the  foot  of  the  left  wall  on  a  little  patch  of  flood- 
plain  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  box-elders,  stopping  early  in  order  to 
spread  the  clothing  and  rations  to  dry.  Everything  is  wet  and  spoiling. 

June  1 4. — Rowland  and  I  climb  the  wall,  on  the  west  side  of  the  canon, 
to  an  altitude  of  2,000  feet.  Standing  above,  and  looking  to  the  west,  we 
discover  a  large  park,  five  or  six  miles  wide  and  twenty  or  thirty  long.  The 
cliff  we  have  climbed  forms  a  wall  between  the  canon  and  the  park,  for  it 
is  800  feet,  down  the  western  side,  to  the  valley.  A  creek  comes  winding 
down,  1,200  feet  above  the  river,  and,  entering  the  intervening  wall  by  a 
canon,  it  plunges  down,  more  than  a  thousand  feet,  by  a  broken  cascade, 
into  the  river  below. 

June  15. — To-day,  while  we  make  another  portage,  a  peak,  standing 
on  the  east  wall,  is  climbed  by  two  of  the  men,  and  found  to  be  2,700  feet 
above  the  river.  On  the  east  side  of  the  canon,  a  vast  amphitheater  has  been 
cut,  with  massive  buttresses,  and  deep,  dark  alcoves,  in  which  grow  beautiful 
mosses  and  delicate  ferns,  while  springs  burst  out  from  the  further  recesses, 
and  wind,  in  silver  threads,  over  floors  of  sand  rock.  Here  we  have  three 
falls  in  close  succession.  At  the  first,  the  water  is  compressed  into  a  very 


28  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

narrow  channel,  against  the  right-hand  cliff,  and  falls  fifteen  feet  in  ten 
yards;  at  the  second,  we  have  a  broad  sheet  of  water,  tumbling  down 
twenty  feet  over  a  group  of  rocks  that  thrust  their  dark  heads  through  the 
foaming  waters.  The  third  is  a  broken  fall,  or  short,  abrupt  rapid,  where 
the  water  makes  a  descent  of  more  than  twenty  feet  among  huge,  fallen  frag 
ments  of  the  cliff.  We  name  the  group  Triplet  Falls. 

We  make  a  portage  around  the  first;  past  the  second  and  third  we  let 
down  with  lines. 

During  the  afternoon,  Dunn  and  Rowland,  having  returned  from  their 
climb,  we  run  down,  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  on  quiet  water,  and  land  at 
the  head  of  another  fall.  On  examination,  we  find  that  there  is  an  abrupt 
plunge  of  a  few  feet,  and  then  the  river  tumbles,  for  half  a  mile,  with  a 
descent  of  a  hundred  feet,  in  a  channel  beset  with  great  numbers  of  huge 
bowlders.  This  stretch  of  the  river  is  named  Hell's  Half-Mile. 

The  remaining  portion  of  the  day  is  occupied  in  making  a  trail  among 
the  rocks  to  the  foot  of  the  rapid. 

June  16. — Our  first  work  this  morning  is  to  carry  our  cargoes  to  the 
foot  of  the  falls.  Then  we  commence  letting  down  the  boats.  We  take  two 
of  them  down  in  safety^  but  not  without  great  difficulty;  for,  where  such  3, 
vast  body  of  water,  rolling  down  an  inclined  plane,  is  broken  into  eddies 
and  cross  currents  by  rocks  projecting  from  the  cliffs  and  piles  of  boulders 
in  the  channel,  it  requires  excessive  labor  and  much  care  to  prevent  their 
being  dashed  against  the  rocks  or  breaking  away.  Sometimes  we  are  com 
pelled  to  hold  the  boat  against  a  rock,  above  a  chute,  until  a  second  line, 
attached  to  the  stem,  is  carried  to  some  point  below,  and,  when  all  is  ready 
the  first  line  is  detached,  and  the  boat  given  to  the  current,  when  she  shoots 
down,  and  the  men  below  swing  her  into  some  eddy. 

At  such  a  place,  we  are  letting  down  the  last  boat,  and,  as  she  is  set  free, 
a  wave  turns  her  broadside  down  the  stream,  with  the  stem,  to  which  the 
line  is  attached,  from  shore,  and  a  little  up.  They  haul  on  the  line  to  bring 
the  boat  in,  but  the  power  of  the  current,  striking  obliquely  against  her, 
shoots  her  out  into  the  middle  of  the  river.  The  men  have  their  hands 
burned  with  the  friction  of  the  passing  line;  the  boat  breaks  away,  aiid 
speeds,  with  great  velocity,  down  the  stream. 


RIPPLING  BROOK.  29 

The  "Maid  of  the  Canon"  is  lost,  so  it  seems;  but  she  drifts  some  distance, 
and  swings  into  an  eddy,  in  which  she  spins  about,  until  we  arrive  with  the 
small  boat,  and  rescue  her. 

Soon  we  are  on  our  way  again,  and  stop  at  the  mouth  of  a  little  brook, 
on  the  right,  for  a  late  dinner.  This  brook  comes  down  from  the  distant 
mountains,  in  a  deep  side  canon.  We  set  out  to  explore  it,  but  are  soon  cut 
off  from  farther  progress  up  the  gorge  by  a  high  rock,  over  which  the  brook 
glides  in  a  smooth  sheet.  The  rock  is  not  quite  vertical,  and  the  water  does 
not  plunge  over  in  a  fall. 

Then  we  climb  up  to  the  left  for  an  hour,  and  are  a  thousand  feet 
above  the  river,  and  six  hundred  above  the  brook.  Just  before  us,  the  canon 
divides,  a  little  stream  coming  down  on  the  right,  and  another  on  the  left, 
and  we  can  look  away  up  either  of  these  canons,  through  an  ascending  vista, 
to  cliffs  and  crags  and  towers,  a  mile  back,  and  two  thousand  feet  overhead. 
To  the  right,  a  dozen  gleaming  cascades  are  seen.  Pines  and  firs  stand  on 
the  rocks,  and  aspens  overhang  the  brooks.  The  rocks  below  are  red  and 
brown,  set  in  deep  shadows,  but  above,  they  are  buff  and  vermilion,  and 
stand  in  the  sunshine.  The  light  above,  made  more  brilliant  by  the  bright- 
tinted  rocks,  and  the  shadows  below  more  gloomy  by  the  somber  hues  of 
the  brown  walls,  increase  the  apparent  depths  of  the  canons,  and  it  seems  a 
long  way  up  to  the  world  of  sunshine  and  open  sky,  and  a  long  way  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  canon  glooms.  Never  before  have  I  received  such  an 
impression  of  the  vast  heights  of  these  canon  walls;  not  even  at  the  Cliff  of 
the  Harp,  where  the  very  heavens  seemed  to  rest  on  their  summits. 

We  sit  on  some  overhanging  rocks,  and  enjoy  the  scene  for  a  time, 
listening  to  the  music  of  falling  waters  away  up  the  canons.  We  name  this 
Rippling  Brook. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  make  a  short  run  to  the  mouth  of  another 
little  creek,  coming  down  from  the  left  into  an  alcove  filled  with  luxuriant 
vegetation.  Here  camp  is  made  with  a  group  of  cedars  on  one  side  and  a 
dense  mass  of  box-elders  and  dead  willows  on  the  other.  * 

I  go  up  to  explore  the  alcove.  While  away  a  whirlwind  comes,  scat 
tering  the  fire  among  the  dead  willows  and  cedar-spray,  and  soon  there  is  a 
conflagration.  The  men  rush  for  the  boats,  leaving  all  they  cannot  readily 


30      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

seize  at  the  moment,  and  even  then  they  have  their  clothing  burned  and 
hair  singed,  and  Bradley  has  his  ears  scorched.  The  cook  fills  his  arms 
with  the  mess-kit,  and,  jumping  into  a  boat,  stumbles  and  falls,  and  away  go 
our  cooking  utensils  into  the  river.  Our  plates  are  gone ;  our  spoons  are 
gone;  our  knives  and  forks  are  gone.  "Water  catch  'em;  h-e-a-p  catch  'em." 

When  on  the  boats,  the  men  are  compelled  to  cut  loose,  as  the  flames, 
running  out  on  the  overhanging  willows,  are  scorching  them.  Loose  on 
the  stream,  they  must  go  down,  for  the  water  is  too  swift  to  make  headway 
against  it.  Just  below  is  a  rapid,  filled  with  rocks.  On  they  shoot,  no 
channel  explored,  no  signal  to  guide  them.  Just  at  this  juncture  I  chance 
to  see  them,  but  have  not  yet  discovered  the  fire,  and  the  strange  movements 
of  the  men  fill  me  with  astonishment.  Down  the  rocks  I  clamber,  and  run 
to  the  bank.  When  I  arrive,  they  have  landed.  Then  we  all  go  back  to 
the  late  camp  to  see  if  anything  left  behind  can  be  saved.  Some  of  the 
clothing  and  bedding  taken  out  of  the  boats  is  found,  also  a  few  tin  cups, 
basins,  and  a  camp  kettle,  and  this  is  all  the  mess  kit  we  now  have.  Yet 
we  do  just  as  well  as  ever. 

June  1 7. — We  run  down  to  the  mouth  of  Yampa  River.  This  has  been 
a  chapter  of  disasters  and  toils,  notwithstanding  which  the  canon  of  Lodore 
was  not  devoid  of  scenic  interest,  even  beyond  the  power  of  pen  to  tell.  The 
roar  of  its  waters  was  heard  unceasingly  from  the  hour  we  entered  it  until 
we  landed  here.  No  quiet  in  all  that  time.  But  its  walls  and  cliffs,  its 
peaks  and  crags,  its  amphitheaters  and  alcoves,  tell  a  story  of  beauty  and 
grandeur  that  I  hear  yet — and  shall  hear. 


The  canon  of  Lodore  is  twenty  and  three-quarter  miles  in  length.  It 
starts  abruptly  at  what  we  have  called  the  Gate  of  Lodore,  with  walls  nearly 
two  thousand  feet  high,  and  they  are  never  lower  than  this  until  we  reach 
Alcove  Brook,  about  three  miles  above  the  foot.  They  are  very  irregular, 
standing  in  vertical  or  overhanging  cliffs  in  places,  terraced  in  others,  or  re 
ceding  in  steep  slopes,  and  are  broken  by  many  side  gulches  and  canons. 


DISTANCES  AND  HEIGHTS.  31 

The  highest  point  on  the  wall  is  at  Dunn's  Cliff,  near  Triplet  Falls,  where 
the  rocks  reach  an  altitude  of  2,700  feet,  but  the  peaks  a  little  way  back 
rise  nearly  a  thousand  feet  higher.  Yellow  pines,  nut  pines,  firs,  and 
cedars  stand  in  extensive  forests  on  the  Uinta  Mountains,  and,  clinging 
to  the  rocks  and  growing  in  th£  crevices,  come  down  the  walls  to  the 
water's  edge  from  Flaming  Gorge  to  Echo  Park.  The  red  standstones 
are  lichened  over;  delicate  mosses  grow  in  the  moist  places,  and  ferns 
festoon  the  walls. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FROM  ECHO  PARK  TO  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  UINTA  RIVER. 

The  Yampa  enters  the  Green  from  the  east.  At  a  point  opposite  its 
mouth,  the  Green  runs  to  the  south,  at  the  foot  of  a  rock,  about  seven  hun 
dred  feet  high  and  a  mile  long,  and  then  turns  sharply  around  it  to  the  right, 
and  runs  back  in  a  northerly  course,  parallel  to  its  former  direction,  for 
nearly  another  mile,  thus  having  the  opposite  sides  of  a  long,  narrow  rock 
for  its  bank.  The  tongue  of  rock  so  formed  is  a  peninsular  precipice,  with 
a  mural  escarpment  along  its  whole  course  on  the  east,  but  broken  down  at 
places  on  the  west. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  river,  opposite  the  rock,  and  below  the  Yampa, 
there  is  a  little  park,  just  large  enough  for  a  farm,  already  fenced  with  high 
walls  of  gray  homogeneous  sandstone.  There  are  three  river  entrances  to 
this  park :  one  down  the  Yampa;  one  below,  by  coming  up  the  Green;  and 
another  down  the  Green.  There  is  also  a  land  entrance  down  a  lateral 
canon.  Elsewhere  the  park  is  inaccessible.  Through  this  land-entrance  by 
the  side  canon  there  is  a  trail  made  by  Indian  hunters,  who  come  down  here 
in  certain  seasons  to  kill  mountain  sheep. 

Great  hollow  domes  are  seen  in  the  eastern  side  of  the  rock,  against 
which  the  Green  sweeps ;  willows  border  the  river ;  clumps  of  box-elder 
are  seen;  and  a  few  cottonwoods  stand  at  the  lower  end.  Standing  opposite 
the  rock,  our  words  are  repeated  with  startling  clearness,  but  in  a  soft,  mel 
low  tone,  that  transforms  them  into  magical  music.  Scarcely  can  you 
believe  it  is  the  echo  of  your  own  voice.  In  some  places  two  or  three 
echoes  come  back ;  in  other  places  they  repeat  themselves,  passing  back  and 
forth  across  the  river  between  this  rock  and  the  eastern  wall. 

To  hear  these  repeated  echoes  well  you  must  shout.  Some  of  the 
party  aver  that  ten  or  twelve  repetitions  can  be  heard.  To  me,  they  seem 
to  rapidly  diminish  and  merge  by  multiplicity,  like  telegraph  poles  on  an 


Figure  It. — Echo  Rock. 


ECHO  KOCK.  33 

outstretched  plain.  I  have  observed  the  same  phenomenon  once  before  in 
the  cliffs  near  Long's  Peak,  and  am  pleased  to  meet  with  it  again. 

During  the  afternoon,  Bradley  and  I  climb  some  cliffs  to  the  north. 
Mountain  sheep  are  seen  above  us,  and  they  stand  out  on  the  rocks,  and  eye 
us  intently,  not  seeming  to  move^  Their  color  is  much  like  that  of  the  gray 
sandstone  beneath  them,  and,  immovable  as  they  are,  they  appear  like  carved 
forms.  Now  a  fine  ram  beats  the  rock  with  his  fore  foot,  and,  wheeling 
around,  they  all  bound  away  together,  leaping  over  rocks  and  chasms,  and 
climbing  walls  where  no  man  can  follow,  and  this  with  an  ease  and  grace 
fulness  most  wonderful.  At  night  we  return  to  our  camp,  under  the  box- 
elders,  by  the  river  side.  Here  we  are  to  spend  two  or  three  days,  making 
a  series  of  astronomic  observations  for  latitude  and  longitude. 

June  18. — We  have  named  the  long  peninsular  rock  on  the  other  side 
Echo  Rock.  Desiring  to  climb  it,  Bradley  and  I  take  the  little  boat  and 
pull  up  stream  as  far  as  possible,  for  it  cannot  be  climbed  directly  opposite. 
We  land  on  a  talus  of  rocks  at  the  upper  end,  to  reach  a  place  where  it  seems 
practicable  to  make  the  ascent ;  but  we  must  go  still  farther  up  the  river. 
So  we  scramble  along,  until  we  reach  a  place  where  the  river  sweeps  against 
the  wall.  Here  we  find  a  shelf,  along  which  we  can  pass,  and  now  are  ready 
for  the  climb. 

We  start  up  a  gulch;  then  pass  to  the  left,  on  a  bench,  along  the  wall; 
then  up  again,  over  broken  rocks ;  then  we  reach  more  benches,  along  which 
we  walk,  until  we  find  more  broken  rocks  and  crevices,  by  which  we  climb, 
still  up,  until  we  have  ascended  six  or  eight  hundred  feet ;  then  we  are  met 
by  a  sheer  precipice. 

Looking  about,  we  find  a  place  where  it  seems  possible  to  climb.  I  go 
ahead ;  Bradley  hands  the  barometer  to  me,  and  follows.  So  we  proceed, 
stage  by  stage,  until  we  are  nearly  to  the  summit.  Here,  by  making  a 
spring,  I  gain  a  foothold  in  a  little  crevice,  and  grasp  an  angle  of  the  rock 
overhead.  I  find  I  can  get  up  no  farther,  and  cannot  step  back,  for  I  dare 
not  let  go  with  my  hand,  and  cannot  reach  foot-hold  below  without.  I  call 
to  Bradley  for  help.  He  finds  a  way  by  which  he  can  get  to  the  top  of  the 
rock  over  my  head,  but  cannot  reach  me.  Then  he  looks  around  for  some 
stick  or  limb  of  a  tree,  but  finds  none.  Then  he  suggests  that  he  had  better 
5  COL 


34      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

help  me  with  the  barometer  case ;  but  I  fear  I  cannot  hold  on  to  it.  The 
moment  is  critical.  Standing  on  my  toes,  my  muscles  begin  to  tremble.  It 
is  sixty  or  eighty  feet  to  the  foot  of  the  precipice.  If  I  lose  my  hold  I 
shall  fall  to  the  bottom,  and  then  perhaps  roll  over  the  bench,  and  tumble 
still  farther  down  the  cliff.  At  this  instant  it  occurs  to  Bradley  to  take  off 
his  drawers,  which  he  does,  and  swings  them  down  to  me.  I  hug  close  to 
the  rock,  let  go  with  my  hand,  seize  the  dangling  legs,  and,  with  his  assist 
ance,  I  am  enabled  to  gain  the  top. 

Then  we  walk  out  on  a  peninsular  rock,  make  the  necessary  obser 
vations  for  determining  its  altitude  above  camp,  and  return,  finding  an  easy 
way  down. 

June  19. — To-day,  Rowland,  Bradley,  and  I  take  the  "Emma  Dean," 
and  start  up  the  Yampa  River,  The  stream  is  much  swollen,  the  current  swift, 
and  we  are  able  to  make  but  slow  progress  against  it.  The  canon  in  this 
part  of  the  course  of  the  Yampa  is  cut  through  light  gray  sandstone.  The 
river  is  very  winding,  and  the  swifter  water  is  usually  found  on  the  outside 
of  the  curve,  sweeping  against  vertical  cliffs,  often  a  thousand  feet  high.  In 
the  center  of  these  curves,  in  many  places,  the  rock  above  overhangs  the 
river.  On  the  opposite  side,  the  walls  are  broken,  craggy,  and  sloping,  and 
occasionally  side  canons  enter.  When  we  have  rowed  until  we  are  quite 
tired  we  stop,  and  take  advantage  of  one  of  these  broken  places  to  climb 
out  of  the  canon.  When  above,  we  can  look  up  the  Yampa  for  a  distance 
of  several  miles. 

From  the  summit  of  the  immediate  walls  of  the  canon  the  rocks  rise 
gently  back  for  a  distance  of  a  mile  or  two,  having  the  appearance  of  a 
valley,  with  an  irregular,  rounded  sandstone  floor,  and  in  the  center  of  the 
valley  a  deep  gorge,  which  is  the  canon.  The  rim  of  this  valley  on  the 
north  is  from  two  thousand  five  hundred  to  three  thousand  feet  above  the 
river ;  on  the  south,  it  is  not  so  high.  A  number  of  peaks  stand  on  this 
northern  rim,  the  highest  of  which  has  received  the  name  Mount  Dawes. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  descend  to  our  boat,  and  return  to  camp  in 
Echo  Park,  gliding  down  in  twenty  minutes  on  the  rapid  river  a  distance 
of  four  or  five  miles,  which  was  only  made  up  stream  by  several  hours'  hard 
rowing  in  the  morning. 


CLIMBING  THE  CLIFFS.  35 

June  20. — This  morning  two  of  the  men  take  me  up  the  Yampa  for  a 
short  distance,  and  I  go  out  to  climb.  Having  reached  the  top  of  the  canon, 
I  walk  over  long  stretches  of  naked  sandstone,  crossing  gulches  now  and 
then,  and  by  noon  reach  the  summit  of  Mount  Dawes.  From  this  point  I 
can  look  away  to  the  north,  and  see  in  the  dim  distance  the  Sweetwater  and 
Wind  River  Mountains,  more  than  a  hundred  miles  away.  To  the  north 
west,  the  Wasatch  Mountains  are  in  view  and  peaks  of  the  Uinta.  To  the 
east,  I  can  see  the  western  slopes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  more  than  a 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  distant. 

The  air  is  singularly  clear  to  day;  mountains  and  buttes  stand  in  sharp 
outline,  valleys  stretch  out  in  the  perspective,  and  I  can  look  down  into  the 
deep  canon  gorges  and  see  gleaming  waters. 

Descending,  I  cross  to  a  ridge  near  the  brink  of  the  canon  of  Lodore, 
the  highest  point  of  which  is  nearly  as  high  as  the  last  mentioned  mountain. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  I  stand  on  this  elevated  point,  and  discover  a 
monument  that  has  evidently  been  built  by  human  hands.  A  few  plants  are 
growing  in  the  joints  between  the  rocks,  and  all  are  lichened  over  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  showing  evidences  that  the  pile  was  built  a  long  time 
ago.  This  line  of  peaks,  the  eastern  extension  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  has 
received  the  name  of  Sierra  Escalanti,  in  honor  of  a  Spanish  priest,  who 
traveled  in  this  region  of  country  nearly  a  century  ago;  and,  perchance, 
the  reverend  father  built  this  monument. 

Now  I  return  to  the  river  and  discharge  my  gun,  as  a  signal  for  the 
boat  to  come  and  take  me  down  to  camp.  While  we  have  been  in  the  park, 
the  men  have  succeeded  in  catching  quite  a  number  of  fish,  and  we  have  an 
abundant  supply.  This  is  quite  an  addition  to  our  cuisine. 

June  21. — We  float  around  the  long  rock,  and  enter  another  canon. 
The  walls  are  high  and  vertical;  the  canon  is  narrow;  and  the  river  fills  the 
whole  space  below,  so  that  there  is  no  landing-place  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff. 
The  Green  is  greatly  increased  by  the  Yampa,  and  we  now  have  a  much 
larger  river.  All  this  volume  of  water,  confined,  as  it  is,  in  a  narrow  chan 
nel,  and  rushing  with  great  velocity,  is  set  eddying  and  spinning  in  whirl 
pools  by  projecting  rocks  and  short  curves,  and  the  waters  waltz  their  way 
through  the  cation,  making  their  own  rippling,  rushing,  roaring  music.  The 


36      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

caiion  is  much  narrower  than  any  we  have  seen.  With  difficulty  we  manage 
our  boats.  They  spin  about  from  side  to  side,  and  we  know  not  where  we 
are  going,  and  find  it  impossible  to  keep  them  headed  down  the  stream.  At 
first,  this  causes  us  great  alarm,  but  we  soon  find  there  is  but  little  danger, 
and  that  there  is  a  general  movement  of  progression  down  the  river,  to  which 
this  whirling  is  but  an  adjunct;  and  it  is  the  merry  mood  of  the  river  to 
dance  through  this  deep,  dark  gorge;  and  right  gaily  do  we  join  in  the  sport. 

Soon  our  revel  is  interrupted  by  a  cataract;  its  roaring  command  is 
heeded  by  all  our  power  at  the  oars,  and  we  pull  against  the  whirling  current. 
The  "Emma  Dean"  is  brought  up  against  a  cliff,  about  fifty  feet  above  the 
brink  of  the  fall.  By  vigorously  plying  the  oars  on  the  side  opposite  the 
wall,  as  if  to  pull  up  stream,  we  can  hold  her  against  the  rock.  The  boats 
behind  are  signaled  to  land  where  they  can.  The  "Maid  of  the  Canon"  is 
pulled  to  the  left  wall,  and,  by  constant  rowing,  they  can  hold  her  also.  The 
"Sister"  is  run  into  an  alcove  on  the  right,  where  an  eddy  is  in  a  dance,  and 
in  this  she  joins.  Now  my  little  boat  is  held  against  the  wall  only  by  the 
utmost  exertion,  and  it  is  impossible  to  make  headway  against  the  current. 
On  examination,  I  find  a  horizontal  crevice  in  the  rock,  about  ten  feet  above 
the  water,  and  a  boat's  length  below  us,  so  we  let  her  down  to  that  point. 
One  of  the  men  clambers  into  the  crevice,  in  which  he  can  just  crawl; 
we  toss  him  the  line,  which  he  makes  fast  in  the  rocks,  and  now  our  boat  is 
tied  up.  Then  I  follow  into  the  crevice,  and  we  crawl  along  a  distance  of 
fifty  feet,  or  more,  up  stream,  and  find  a  broken  place,  where  we  can  climb 
about  fifty  feet  higher.  Here  we  stand  on  a  shelf,  that  passes  along  down 
stream  to  a  point  above  the  falls,  where  it  is  broken  down,  and  a  pile  of 
rocks,  over  which  we  can  descend  to  the  river,  is  lying  against  the  foot 
of  the  cliff. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  one  of  the  boats  is  on  the  other  side.  I 
signal  for  the  men  to  pull  her  up  alongside  of  the  wall,  but  it  cannot  be 
done;  then  to  cross.  This  they  do,  gaining  the  wall  on  our  side  just  above 
where  the  "Emma  Dean"  is  tied. 

The  third  boat  is  out  of  sight,  whirling  in  the  eddy  of  a  recess.  Look 
ing  about,  I  find  another  horizontal  crevice,  along  which  I  crawl  to  a  point 
just  over  the  water,  where  this  boat  is  lying,  and,  calling  loud  and  long,  I 


AN  EXHILARATING  EIDE.  37 

finally  succeed  in  making  the  crew  understand  that  I  want  them  to  bring 
the  boat  down,  hugging  the  wall.  This  they  accomplish,  by  taking  advan 
tage  of  every  crevice  and  knob  on  the  face  of  the  cliff,  so  that  we  have  the 
three  boats  together  at  a  point  a  few  yards  above  the  falls.  Now,  by  pass 
ing  a  line  up  on  the  shelf,  the  boats  can  be  let  down  to  the  broken  rocks 
below.  This  we  do,  and,  making  a  short  portage,  our  troubles  here  are  over. 

Below  the  falls,  the  caiion  is  wider,  and  there  is  more  or  less  space 
between  the  river  and  the  walls;  but  the  stream,  though  wide,  is  rapid,  and 
rolls  at  a  fearful  rate  among  the  rocks.  We  proceed  with  great  caution,  and 
run  the  large  boats  altogether  by  signal. 

At  night  we  camp  at  the  mouth  of  a  small  creek,  which  affords  us  a 
good  supper  of  trout.  In  camp,  to-night,  we  discuss  the  propriety  of  several 
different  names  for  this  canon.  At  the  falls,  encountered  at  noon,  its  char 
acteristics  change  suddenly.  Above,  it  is  very  narrow,  and  the  walls  are 
almost  vertical;  below,  the  canon  is  much  wider,  and  more  flaring;  and,  high 
up  on  the  sides,  crags,  pinnacles,  and  towers  are  seen.  A  number  of  wild, 
narrow  side  canons  enter,  and  the  walls  are  much  broken.  After  many  sug 
gestions,  our  choice  rests  between  two  names,  Whirlpool  Canon  and  Craggy 
Canon,  neither  of  which  is  strictly  appropriate  for  both  parts  of  it;  but  we 
leave  the  discussion  at  this  point,  with  the  understanding  that  it  is  best, 
before  finally  deciding  on  a  name,  to  wait  until  we  see  what  the  canon  is 
below. 

June  22. — Still  making  short  portages  and  letting  down  with  lines. 
While  we  are  waiting  for  dinner  to-day,  I  climb  a  point  that  gives  me  a 
good  view  of  the  river  for  two  or  three  miles  below,  and  I  think  we  can 
make  a  long  run.  After  dinner,  we  start ;  the  large  boats  are  to  follow  in 
fifteen  minutes,  and  look  out  for  the  signal  to  land.  Into  the  middle  of  the 
stream  we  row,  and  down  the  rapid  river  we  glide,  only  making  strokes 
enough  with  the  oars  to  guide  the  boat.  What  a  headlong  ride  it  is ! 
shooting  past  rocks  and  islands !  I  am  soon  filled  with  exhilaration  only 
experienced  before  in  riding  a  fleet  horse  over  the  outstretched  prairie. 
One,  two,  three,  four  miles  we  go,  rearing  and  plunging  with  the  waves, 
until  we  wheel  to  the  right  into  a  beautiful  park,  and  land  on  an  island, 
where  we  go  into  camp. 


38      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

An  hour  or  two  before  sunset,  I  cross  to  the  mainland,  and  climb  a 
point  of  rocks  where  I  can  overlook  the  park  and  its  surroundings.  On  the 
east  it  is  bounded  by  a  high  mountain  ridge.  A  semicircle  of  naked  hills 
bounds  it  on  the  north,  west,  and  south.  The  broad,  deep  river  meanders 
through  the  park,  interrupted  by  many  wooded  islands ;  so  I  name  it  Island 
Park,  and  decide  to  call  the  canon  above  Whirlpool  Canon. 

June  23. — We  remain  in  camp  to-day  to  repair  our  boats,  which  have 
had  hard  knocks,  and  are  leaking.  Two  of  the  men  go  out  with  the  barom 
eter  to  climb  the  cliff  at  the  foot  of  Whirlpool  Canon  and  measure  the  walls; 
another  goes  on  the  mountain  to  hunt;  and  Bradley  and  I  spend  the  day 
among  the  rocks,  studying  an  interesting  geological  fold  and  collectingfossils. 
Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  hunter  returns,  and  brings  with  him  a  fine,  fat 
deer,  so  we  give  his  name  to  the  mountain — Mount  Hawkins.  Just  before 
night  we  move  camp  to  the  lower  end  of  the  park,  floating  down  the  river 
about  four  miles 

June  24. — Bradley  and  I  start  early  to  climb  the  mountain  ridge  to 
the  east;  find  its  summit  to  be  nearly  three  thousand  feet  above  camp,  and 
it  has  required  some  labor  to  scale  it ;  but  on  its  top,  what  a  view  !  There 
is  a  long  spur  running  out  from  the  Uinta  Mountains  toward  the  south,  and 
the  river  runs  lengthwise  through  it.  Coming  down  Lodore  and  Whirlpool 
Canons,  we  cut  through  the  southern  slope  of  the  Uinta  Mountains ;  and  the 
lower  end  of  this  latter  canon  runs  into  the  spur,  but,  instead  of  splitting  it 
the  whole  length,  the  river  wheels  to  the  right  at  the  foot  of  Whirlpool 
Gallon,  in  a  great  curve  to  the  northwest,  through  Island  Park.  At  the  lower 
end  of  the  park,  the  river  turns  again  to  the  southeast,  and  cuts  into  the 
mountain  to  its  center,  and  then  makes  a  detour  to  the  southwest,  splitting 
the  mountain  ridge  for  a  distance  of  six  miles  nearly  to  its  foot,  and  then 
turns  out  of  it  to  the  left.  All  this  we  can  see  where  we  stand  on  the 
summit  of  Mount  Hawkins,  and  so  we  name  the  gorge  below  Split  Mount 
ain  Canon. 

We  are  standing  three  thousand  feet  above  its  waters,  which  are 
troubled  with  billows,  and  white  with  foam.  Its  walls  are  set  with  crags 
and  peaks,  and  buttressed  towers,  and  overhanging  domes.  Turning  to  the 
right,  the  park  is  below  us,  with  its  island  groves  reflected  by  the  deep,  quiet 


Figure  12. — Swallow  Cave. 


SPLIT  MOUNTAIN  CA$X)N.  39 

waters.  Rich  meadows  stretch  out  on  either  hand,  to  the  verge  of  a  sloping- 
plain,  that  comes  down  from  the  distant  mountains.  These  plains  are  of 
almost  naked  rock,  in  strange  contrast  to  the  meadows ;  blue  and  lilac 
colored  rocks,  buff  and  pink,  vermilion  and  brown,  and  all  these  colors 
clear  and  bright.  A  dozen  little^  creeks,  dry  the  greater  part  of  the  year, 
run  down  through  the  half  circle  of  exposed  formations,  radiating  from  the 
island-center  to  the  rim  of  the  basin.  Each  creek  has  its  system  of  side 
streams,  and  each  side  stream  has  its  system  of  laterals,  and,  again,  these 
are  divided,  so  that  this  outstretched  slope  of  rock  is  elaborately  embossed. 
Beds  of  different  colored  formations  run  in  parallel  bands  on  either  side. 
The  perspective,  modified  by  the  undulations,  gives  the  bands  a  waved 
appearance,  and  the  high  colors  gleam  in  the  midday  sun  with  the  luster  of 
satin.  We  are  tempted  to  call  this  Rainbow  Park.  Away  beyond  these 
beds  are  the  Uinta  and  Wasatch  Mountains,  with  their  pine  forests  and  snow 
fields  and  naked  peaks.  Now  we  turn  to  the  right,  and  look  up  Whirlpool 
Canon,  a  deep  gorge,  with  a  river  in  the  bottom — a  gloomy  chasm,  where 
mad  waves  roar ;  but,  at  this  distance  and  altitude,  the  river  is  but  a  rippling 
brook,  and  the  chasm  a  narrow  cleft.  The  top  of  the  mountain  on  which 
we  stand  is  a  broad,  grassy  table,  and  a  herd  of  deer  is  feeding  in  the 
distance.  Walking  over  to  the  southeast,  we  look  down  into  the  valley  of 
White  River,  and  beyond  that  see  the  far  distant  Rocky  Mountains,  in  mel 
low,  perspective  haze,  through  which  snow  fields  shine. 

June  25. — This  morning,  we  enter  Split  Mountain  Canon,  sailing  in 
through  a  broad,  flaring,  brilliant  gateway.  We  run  two  or  three  rapids 
after  they  have  been  carefully  examined.  Then  we  have  a  series  of  six  or 
eight,  over  which  we  are  compelled  to  pass  by  letting  the  boats  down  with 
lines.  This  occupies  the  entire  day,  and  we  camp  at  night  at  the  mouth  of 
a  great  cave. 

The  cave  is  at  the  foot  of  one  of  these  rapids,  and  the  waves  dash  in 
nearly  to  its  very  end.  We  can  pass  along  a  little  shelf  at  the  side  until 
we  reach  the  back  part.  Swallows  have  built  their  nests  in  the  ceiling,  and 
they  wheel  in,  chattering  and  scolding  at  our  intrusion ;  but  their  clamor  is 
almost  drowned  by  the  noise  of  the  waters.  Looking  out  of  the  cave,  we 


40      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

can  see,  far  up  the  river,  a  line  of  crags  standing  sentinel  on  either  side,  and 
Mount  Hawkins  in  the  distance. 

June  26. — The  forenoon  is  spent  in  getting  our  large  boats  over  the 
rapids.  This  afternoon,  we  find  three  falls  in  close  succession.  We  carry 
our  rations  over  the  rocks,  and  let  our  boats  shoot  over  the  falls,  checking 
and  bringing  them  to  land  with  lines  in  the  eddies  below.  At  three  o'clock 
we  are  all  aboard  again.  Down  the  river  we  are  carried  by  the  swift 
waters  at  great  speed,  sheering  around  a  rock  now  and  then  with  a  timely 
stroke  or  two  of  the  oars.  At  one  point,  the  river  turns  from  left  to  right, 
in  a  direction  at  right  angles  to  the  canon,  in  a  long  chute,  and  strikes  the 
right,  where  its  waters  are  heaped  up  in  great  billows,  that  tumble  back  in 
breakers.  We  glide  into  the  chute  before  we  see  the  danger,  and  it  is  too 
late  to  stop.  Two  or  three  hard  strokes  are  given  on  the  right,  and  we 
pause  for  an  instant,  expecting  to  be  dashed  against  the  rock.  The  bow  of 
the  boat  leaps  high  on  a  great  wave ;  the  rebounding  waters  hurl  us  back, 
and  the  peril  is  past.  The  next  moment,  the  other  boats  are  hurriedly  sig 
naled  to  land  on  the  left.  Accomplishing  this,  the  men  walk  along  the  shore, 
holding  the  boats  near  the  bank,  and  let  them  drift  around.  Starting  again, 
we  soon  debouch  into  a  beautiful  valley,  and  glide  down  its  length  for  ten 
miles,  and  camp  under  a  grand  old  cottonwood.  This  is  evidently  a  fre 
quent  resort  for  Indians.  Tent  poles  are  lying  about,  and  the  dead  embers 
of  late  camp  fires  are  seen.  On  the  plains,  to  the  left,  antelope  are  feeding. 
Now  and  then  a  wolf  is  seen,  and  after  dark  they  make  the  air  resound  with 
their  howling. 

June  27. — Now  our  way  is  along  a  gently  flowing  river,  beset  with 
many  islands;  groves  are  seen  on  either  side,  and  natural  meadows,  where 
herds  of  antelope  are  feeding.  Here  and  there  we  have  views  of  the  distant 
mountains  on  the  right. 

During  the  afternoon,  we  make  a  long  detour  to  the  west,  and  return 
again,  to  a  point  not  more  than  half  a  mile  from  where  we  started  at  noon, 
and  here  we  camp,  for  the  night,  under  a  high  bluff. 

June  28. — To  day,  the  scenery  on  either  side  of  the  river  is  much  the 
same  as  that  of  yesterday,  except  that  two  or  three  lakes  are  discovered, 
lying  in  the  valley  to  the  west.  After  dinner,  we  run  but  a  few  minutes, 


MOUTH  OF  THE  UINTA— MOUTH  OF  THE  WHITE.  41 

when  we  discover  the  mouth  of  the  Uinta,  a  river  coming  in  from  the  west. 
Up  the  valley  of  this  stream,  about  forty  miles,  the  reservation  of  the  Uinta 
Indians  is  situated.  We  propose  to  go  there,  and  see  if  we  can  replenish 
our  mess  kit,  and,  perhaps,  send  letters  to  friends.  We  also  desire  to  estab 
lish  an  astronomic  station  here;  and  hence  this  will  be  our  stopping  place 
for  several  days. 

Some  years  ago,  Captain  Berthoud  surveyed  a  stage  route  from  Salt 
Lake  City  to  Denver,  and  this  is  the  place  where  he  crossed  the  Green  River. 
His  party  was  encamped  here  for  some  time,  constructing  a  ferry  boat  and 
opening  a  road. 

A  little  above  the  mouth  of  the  Uinta,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Green, 
there  is  a  lake  of  several  thousand  acres.  We  carry  our  boat  across  the 
divide  between  this  and  the  river,  have  a  row  on  its  quiet  waters,  and  suc 
ceed  in  shooting  several  ducks. 

Jv-ne  29. — A  mile  and  three  quarters  from  here  is  the  junction  of  the 
White  River  with  the  Green.  The  White  has  its  source  far  to  the  east,  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  morning,  I  cross  the  Green,  and  go  over  into 
the  valley  of  the  White,  and  extend  my  walk  several  miles  along  its  winding 
way,  until,  at  last,  I  come  in  sight  of  some  strangely  carved  rocks,  named 
by  General  Hughes,  in  his  journal,  "  Goblin  City."  Our  last  winter's  camp 
was  situated  a  hundred  miles  above  the  point  reached  to  day.  The  course 
of  the  river,  for  much  of  the  distance,  is  through  canons;  but,  at  some 
places,  valleys  are  found.  Excepting  these  little  valleys,  the  region  is  one 
of  great  desolation:  arid,  almost  treeless,  bluffs,  hills,  ledges  of  rock,  and 
drifting  sands.  Along  the  course  of  the  Green,  however,  from  the  foot  oi 
Split  Mountain  Canon  to  a  point  some  distance  below  the  mouth  of  the  Uinta, 
there  are  many  groves  of  cottonwood,  natural  meadows,  and  rich  lands.  This 
arable  belt  extends  some  distance  up  the  White  River,  on  the  east,  and  the 
Uinta,  on  the  west,  and  the  time  must  soon  come  when  settlers  will  pene 
trate  this  country,  and  make  homes. 

June  30. — We  have  a  row  up  the  Uinta  to  day,  but  are  not  able  to  make 
much  headway  against  the  swift  current,  and  hence  conclude  we  must  walk 
all  the  way  to  the  agency. 

July  1. — Two  days  have  been  employed  in  obtaining  the  local  time, 
6  COL 


42      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

taking-  observations  for  latitude  and  longitude,  and  making-  excursions  into 
the  adjacent  country.  This  morning-,  with  two  of  the  men,  I  start  for  the 
Agency.  It  is  a  toilsome  walk,  twenty  miles  of  the  distance  being  across  a 
sand  desert.  Occasionally,  we  have  to  wade  the  river,  crossing  it  back  and 
forth.  Toward  evening,  we  cross  several  beautiful  streams,  which  are  tribu 
taries  of  the  Uinta,  and  we  pass  through  pine  groves  and  meadows,  arriving 
just  at  dusk  at  the  Reservation.  Captain  Dodds,  the  agent,  is  away,  having 
gone  to  Salt  Lake  City,  but  his  assistants  receive  us  very  kindly.  It  is 
rather  pleasant  to  see  a  house  once  more,  and  some  evidences  of  civilization, 
even  if  it  is  on  an  Indian  reservation,  several  days'  ride  from  the  nearest 
home  of  the  white  man. 

July  2. — I  go,  this  morning,  to  visit  Tsau'-wi-at,  This  old  chief  is  but  the 
wreck  of  a  man,  and  no  longer  has  influence.  Looking  at  him,  you  can  scarcely 
realize  that  he  is  a  man.  His  skin  is  shrunken,  wrinkled,  and  dry,  and  seems 
to  cover  no  more  than  a  form  of  bones.  He  is  said  to  be  more  than  a  hun 
dred  years  old.  I  talk  a  little  with  him,  but  his  conversation  is  incoherent, 
though  he  seems  to  take  pride  in  showing  me  some  medals,  that  must  have 
been  given  him  many  years  ago.  He  has  a  pipe  which,  he  says,  he  has 
used  a  long  time.  I  offer  to  exchange  with  him,  and  he  seems  to  be  glad 
to  accept;  so  I  add  another  to  my  collection  of  pipes.  His  wife,  "The 
Bishop,"  as  she  is  called,  is  a  very  garrulous  old  woman;  she  exerts  a  great 
influence,  and  is  much  revered.  She  is  the  only  Indian  woman  I  have 
known  to  occupy  a  place  in  the  council  ring.  She  seems  very  much  younger 
than  her  husband,  and,  though  wrinkled  and  ugly,  is  still  vigorous.  She  has 
much  to  say  to  me  concerning  the  condition  of  the  people,  and  seems  very 
anxious  that  they  should  learn  to  cultivate  the  soil,  own  farms,  and  live  like 
white  men.  After  talking  a  couple  of  hours  with  these  old  people,  I  go  to 
see  the  farms.  They  are  situated  in  a  very  beautiful  district,  where  many 
fine  streams  of  water  meander  across  alluvial  plains  and  meadows.  These 
creeks  have  quite  a  fall,  and  it  is  very  easy  to  take  their  waters  out  above, 
and,  with  them,  overflow  the  lands. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  irrigation  is  necessary,  in  this  dry  climate,  to 
successful  farming.  Quite  a  number  of  Indians  have  each  a  patch  of  ground, 
of  two  or  three  acres,  on  which  they  are  raising  wheat,  potatoes,  turnips, 


Figure  13. — Sai'-ar,  the  interpreter,  and  his  family. 


DISTANCES  ASTD  HEIGHTS.  43 

pumpkins,  melons,  and  other  vegetables.  Most  of  the  crops  are  looking 
well,  and  it  is  rather  surprising  with  what  pride  they  show  us  that  they  are 
able  to  cultivate  crops  like  white  men.  They  are  still  occupying  lodges, 
and  refuse  to  build  houses,  assigning  as  a  reason  that  when  any  one  dies  in 
a  lodge  it  is  always  abandoned,  and  very  often  burned  with  all  the  effects 
of  the  deceased,  and  when  houses  have  been  built  for  them  they  have  been 
treated  in  the  same  way.  With  their  unclean  habits,  a  fixed  residence 
would  doubtless  be  no  pleasant  place.  This  beautiful  valley  has  been  the 
home  of  a  people  of  a  higher  grade  of  civilization  than  the  present  Utes. 
Evidences  of  this  are  quite  abundant ;  on  our  way  here  yesterday  we  dis 
covered,  in  many  places  along  the  trail,  fragments  of  pottery;  and  wander 
ing  about  the  little  farms  to  day,  I  find  the  foundations  of  ancient  houses, 
and  mealing  stones  that  were  not  used  by  nomadic  people,  as  they  are  too 
heavy  to  be  transported  by  such  tribes,  and  are  deeply  worn.  The  Indians, 
seeing  that  I  am  interested  in  these  matters,  take  pains  to  show  me  several 
other  places  where  these  evidences  remain,  and  tell  me  that  they  know 
nothing  about  the  people  who  formerly  dwelt  here.  They  further  tell  me 
that  up  in  the  canon  the  rocks  are  covered  with  pictures. 

July  5. — The  last  two  days  have  been  spent  in  studying  the  language 
of  the  Indians,  and  making  collections  of  articles  illustrating  the  state  of  arts 
among  them. 

Frank  Goodman  informs  me,  this  morning,  that  he  has  concluded  not 
to  go  on  with  the  party,  saying  that  he  has  seen  danger  enough.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  he  was  one  of  the  crew  on  the  "No  Name,"  when  she  was 
wrecked.  As  our  boats  are  rather  heavily  loaded,  I  am  content  that  he 
should  leave,  although  he  has  been  a  faithful  man. 

We  start  early  on  our  return  to  the  boats,  taking  horses  with  us  from 
the  reservation,  and  two  Indians^  who  are  to  bring  the  animals  back. 


Whirlpool  Canon  is  fourteen  and  a  quarter  miles  in  length,  the  walls 
varying  from  one  thousand  eight  hundred  to  two  thousand  four  hundred 
feet  in  height.  The  course  of  the  river  through  Island  Park  is  nine  miles. 


44      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CASfONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

Split  Mountain  Canon  is  eight  miles  long.  The  highest  crags  on  its  walls 
reach  an  altitude  above  the  river  of  from  two  thousand  five  hundred  to  two 
thousand  seven  hundred  feet.  In  these  canons,  cedars  only  are  found  on 
the  walls. 

The  distance  by  river  from  the  foot  of  Split  Mountain  Canon  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Uinta  is  sixty-seven  miles.  The  valley  through  which  it  runs 
is  the  home  of  many  antelope,  and  we  have  adopted  the  Indian  name,  Wori- 
sits  Yu-av — Antelope  Valley. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

FROM    THE    MOUTH    OF     THE    UINTAx  RIVER   TO    THE    JUNCTION    OF    THE    GRAND 

AND    GREEN. 

July  6. — Start  early  this  morning.  A  short  distance  below  the  month  of 
the  Uinta,  we  come  to  the  head  of  a  long  island.  Last  winter,  a  man  named 
Johnson,  -a  hunter  and  Indian  trader,  visited  us  at  our  camp  in  White  River 
Valley.  This  man  has  an  Indian  wife,  and,  having  no  fixed,  home,  usually 
travels  with  one  of  the  Ute  bands.  He  informed  me  it  was  his  intention  to 
plant  some  corn,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables  on  this  island  in  the  spring, 
and,  knowing  that  we  would  pass  it,  invited  us  to  stop  and  help  ourselves, 
even  if  he  should  not  be  there ;  so  we  land  and  go  out  on  the  island. 
Looking  about,  we  soon  discover  his  garden,  but  it  is  in  a  sad  condition, 
having  received  no  care  since  it  was  planted.  It  is  yet  too  early  in  the 
season  for  corn,  but  Hall  suggests  that  potato  tops  are  good  greens,  and, 
anxious  for  some  change  from  our  salt  meat  fare,  we  gather  a  quantity  and 
take  them  aboard.  At  noon  we  stop  and  cook  our  greens  for  dinner;  but 
soon,  one  after  another  of  the  party  is  taken  sick ;  nausea  first,  and  then 
severe  vomiting,  and  we  tumble  around  under  the  trees,  groaning  with  pain, 
and  I  feel  a  little  alarmed,  lest  our  poisoning  be  severe.  Emetics  are  ad 
ministered  to  those  who  are  willing  to  take  them,  and  about  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon  we  are  all  rid  of  the  pain.  Jack  Sumner  records  in  his  diary 
that  "  Potato  tops  are  not  good  greens  on  the  sixth  day  of  July." 

This  evening  we  enter  another  canon,  almost  imperceptibly,  as  the 
walls  rise  very  gently. 

July  1. — We  find  quiet  water  to  day,  the  river  sweeping  in  great  and 
beautiful  curves,  the  canon  walls  steadily  increasing  in  altitude.  The 
escarpment  formed  by  the  cut  edges  of  the  rock  are  often  vertical,  some 
times  terraced,  and  hi  some  places  the  treads  of  the  terraces  are  sloping.  In 
these  quiet  curves  vast  amphitheaters  are  formed,  now  in  vertical  rocks,  now 
in  steps. 


46      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

The  salient  point  of  rock  within  the  curve  is  usually  broken  down  in  a 
steep  slope,  and  we  stop  occasionally  to  climb  up,  at  such  a  place,  where,  on 
looking  down,  we  can  see  the  river  sweeping  the  foot  of  the  opposite  cliff, 
in  a  great,  easy  curve,  with  a  perpendicular  or  terraced  wall  rising  from  the 
water's  edge  many  hundreds  of  feet.  One  of  these  we  find  very  symmetrical, 
and  name  it  Sumner's  Amphitheater.  The  cliffs  are  rarely  broken  by  the 
entrance  of  side  canons,  and  we  sweep  around  curve  after  curve,  with  almost 
continuous  walls,  for  several  miles. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  we  find  the  river  much  rougher,  and  come  upon 
rapids,  not  dangerous,  but  still  demanding  close  attention. 

We  camp  at  night  on  the  right  bank,  having  made  to  day  twenty  six 
miles. 

July  8. — This  morning,  Bradley  and  I  go  out  to  climb,  and  gain  an 
altitude  of  more  than  two  thousand  feet  above  the  river,  but  still  do  not 
reach  the  summit  of  the  wall. 

After  dinner,  we  pass  through  a  region  of  the  wildest  desolation.  The 
canon  is  very  tortuous,  the  river  very  rapid,  and  many  lateral  canons  enter 
on  either  side.  These  usually  have  their  branches,  so  that  the  region  is  cut 
into  a  wilderness  of  gray  and  brown  cliffs.  In  several  places,  these  lateral 
canons  are  only  separated  from  each  other  by  narrow  walls,  often  hundreds 
of  feet  high,  but  so  narrow  in  places  that  where  softer  rocks  are  found  below, 
they  have  crumbled  away,  and  left  holes  in  the  wall,  forming  passages  from 
one  canon  into  another.  These  we  often  call  natural  bridges ;  but  they 
were  never  intended  to  span  streams.  They  had  better,  perhaps,  be  called 
side  doors  between  canon  chambers. 

Piles  of  broken  rock  lie  against  these  walls ;  crags  and  tower  shaped 
peaks  are  seen  everywhere ;  and  away  above  them,  long  lines  of  broken 
cliffs,  and  above  and  beyond  the  cliffs  are  pine  forests,  of  which  we  obtain 
occasional  glimpses,  as  we  look  up  through  a  vista  of  rocks. 

The  walls  are  almost  without  vegetation ;  a  few  dwarf  bushes  are  seen 
here  and  there,  clinging  to  the  rocks,  and  cedars  grow  from  the  crevices — 
not  like  the  cedars  of  a  land  refreshed  with  rains,  great  cones  bedecked  with 
spray,  but  ugly  clumps,  like  war  clubs,  beset  with  spines.  We  are  minded 
to  call  this  the  Canon  of  Desolation. 


Figure  16.— Simmer's  Amphitheatre. 


MEASURING  THE  WALLS.  47 

The  wind  annoys  us  much  to  day.  The  water,  rough  by  reason  of  the 
rapids,  is  made  more  so  by  head  gales.  Wherever  a  great  face  of  rock  has 
a  southern  exposure,  the  rarified  air  rises,  and  the  wind  rushes  in  below, 
either  up  or  down  the  canon,  or  both,  causing  local  currents. 

Just  at  sunset,  we  run  a  bad  rapid,  and  camp  at  its  foot. 

July  9. — Our  run  to  day  is  through  a  canon,  with  ragged,  broken  walls, 
many  lateral  gulches  or  canons  entering  on  either  side.  The  river  is  rough, 
and  occasionally  it  becomes  necessary  to  use  lines  in  passing  rocky  places. 
During  the  afternoon,  we  come  to  a  rather  open  canon  valley,  stretching  up 
toward  the  west,  its  farther  end  lost  in  the  mountains.  From  a  point  to 
which  we  climb,  we  obtain  a  good  view  of  its  course,  until  its  angular  walls 
are  lost  in  the  vista. 

July  10. — Sumner,  who  is  a  fine  mechanist,  is  learning  to  take  observa 
tions  for  time  with  the  sextant.  To  day,  he  remains  in  camp  to  practice. 

Howland  and  myself  determine  to  climb  out,  and  start  up  a  lateral 
canon,  taking  a  barometer  with  us,  for  the  purpose  of  measuring  the  thick 
ness  of  the  strata  over  which  we  pass.  The  readings  of  a  barometer  below 
are  recorded  every  half  hour,  and  our  observations  must  be  simultaneous. 
Where  the  beds,  which  we  desire  to  measure,  are  very  thick,  we  must  climb 
with  the  utmost  speed,  to  reach  their  summits  in  time.  Again,  where  there 
are  thinner  beds,  we  wait  for  the  moment  to  arrive ;  and  so,  by  hard  and 
easy  stages,  we  make  our  way  to  the  top  of  the  canon  wall,  and  reach  the 
plateau  above  about  two  o'clock. 

Howland,  who  has  his  gun  with  him,  sees  deer  feeding  a  mile  or  two 
back,  and  goes  off  for  a  hunt.  I  go  to  a  peak,  which  seems  to  be  the  highest 
one  in  this  region,  about  half  a  mile  distant,  and  climb,  for  the  purpose  of 
tracing  the  topography  of  the  adjacent  country.  From  this  point,  a  fine 
view  is  obtained.  A  long  plateau  stretches  across  the  river,  in  an  easterly 
and  westerly  direction,  the  summit  covered  by  pine  forests,  with  intervening 
elevated  valleys  and  gulches.  The  plateau  itself  is  cut  in  two  by  the  caiion. 
Other  side  canons  head  away  back  from  the  river,  and  run  down  into  the 
Green.  Besides  these,  deep  and  abrupt  canons  are  seen  to  head  back  on 
the  plateau,  and  run  north  toward  the  Uinta  and  White  Rivers.  Still  other 
canons  head  in  the  valleys,  and  run  toward  the  south.  The  elevation  of  the 


48      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

plateau  being  about  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  brings  it 
into  a  region  of  moisture,  as  is  well  attested  by  the  forests  and  grassy  val 
leys.  The  plateau  seems  to  rise  gradually  to  the  west,  until  it  merges  into 
the  Wasatch  Mountains.  On  these  high  table  lands,  elk  and  deer  abound ; 
and  they  are  favorite  hunting  grounds  for  the  Ute  Indians. 

A  little  before  sunset,  Rowland  and  I  meet  again  at  the  head  of  the 
side  canon,  and  down  we  start.  It  is  late,  and  we  must  make  great  haste, 
or  be  caught  by  the  darkness;  so  we  go,  running  where  we  can;  leaping 
over  the  ledges;  letting  each  other  down  on  the  loose  rocks,  as  long  as  we 
can  see.  When  darkness  comes,  we  are  still  some  distance  from  camp,  and 
a  long,  slow,  anxious  descent  we  make,  toward  the  gleaming  camp  fire. 

After  supper,  observations  for  latitude  are  taken,  and  only  two  or  three 
hours  for  sleep  remain,  before  daylight. 

July  11. — A  short  distance  below  camp  we  run  a  rapid,  and,  in  doing 
so,  break  an  oar,  and  then  lose  another,  both  belonging  to  the  "Emma 
Dean."  So  the  pioneer  boat  has  but  two  oars. 

We  see  nothing  of  which  oars  can  be  made,  so  we  conclude  to  run  on 
to  some  point,  where  it  seems  possible  to  climb  out  to  the  forests  on  the 
plateau,  and  there  we  will  procure  suitable  timber  from  which  to  make  new 
ones. 

We  soon  approach  another  rapid.  Standing  on  deck,  I  think  it  can  be 
run,  and  on  we  go.  Coming  nearer,  I  see  that  at  the  foot  it  has  a  short 
turn  to  the  left,  where  the  waters  pile  up  against  the  cliff.  Here  we  try  to 
land,  but  quickly  discover  that,  being  in  swift  water,  above  the  fall,  we  can 
not  reach  shore,  crippled,  as  we  are,  by  the  loss  of  two  oars;  so  the  bow  of 
the  boat  is  turned  down  stre'am.  We  shoot  by  a  big  rock;  a  reflex  wave 
rolls  over  our  little  boat  and  fills  her.  I  see  the  place  is  dangerous,  and 
quickly  signal  to  the  other  boats  to  land  where  they  can.  This  is  scarcely 
completed  when  another  wave  rolls  our  boat  over,  and  I  am  thrown  some 
distance  into  the  water.  I  soon  find  that  swimming  is  very  easy,  and  I  can 
not  sink.  It  is  only  necessary  to  ply  strokes  sufficient  to  keep  my  head  out 
of  the  water,  though  now  and  then,  when  a  breaker  rolls  over  me,  I  close 
my  mouth,  and  am  carried  through  it.  The  boat  is  drifting  ahead  of  me 
twenty  or  thirty  feet,  and,  when  the  great  waves  are  passed,  I  overtake  it, 


Figure  17.— Light-House  Rock  in  the  Canon  of  Desolation. 


BKADLEY'S  MISHAP.  49 

and  find  Summer  and  Dunn  clinging  to  her.  As  soon  as  we  reach  quiet 
water,  we  all  swim  to  one  side  and  turn  her  over.  In  doing  this,  Dunn 
loses  his  hold -and  goes  under;  when  he  comes  up,  he  is  caught  by  Smnner 
and  pulled  to  the  boat.  In  the  mean  time  we  have  drifted  down  stream 
some  distance,  and  see  another  rapid  below.  How  bad  it  may  be  we  can 
not  tell,  so  we  swim  toward  shore,  pulling  our  boat  with  us,  with  all  the 
vigor  possible,  but  are  carried  down  much  faster  than  distance  toward  shore 
is  gained.  At  last  we  reach  a  huge  pile  of  drift  wood.  Our  rolls  of  blank 
ets,  two  guns,  and  a  barometer  were  in  the  open  compartment  of  the  boat, 
and,  when  it  went  over,  these  were  thrown  out.  The  guns  and  barometer 
are  lost,  but  I  succeeded  in  catching  one  of  the  rolls  of  blankets,  as  it  drifted 
by,  when  we  were  swimming  to  shore;  the  other  two  are  lost,  and  some 
times  hereafter  we  may  sleep  cold. 

A  huge  fire  is  built  on  the  bank,  our  clothing  is  spread  to  dry,  and  then 
from  the  drift  logs  we  select  one  from  which  we  think  oars  can  be  made,  and 
the  remainder  of  the  day  is  spent  in  sawing  them  out. 

July  12. — This  morning,  the  new  oars  are  finished,  and  we  start  once 
more.  We  pass  several  bad  rapids,  making  a  short  portage  at  one,  and 
before  noon  we  come  to  a  long,  bad  fall,  where  the  channel  is  filled  with 
rocks  on  the  left,  turning  the  waters  to  the  right,  where  they  pass  under  an 
overhanging  rock.  On  examination,  we  determine  to  run  it,  keeping  as 
close  to  the  left  hand  rocks  as  safety  will  permit,  in  order  to  avoid  the  over 
hanging  cliff.  The  little  boat  runs  over  all  right;  another  follows,  but  the 
men  are  not  able  to  keep  her  near  enough  to  the  left  bank,  and  she  is  car 
ried,  by  a  swift  chute,  into  great  waves  to  the  right,  where  she  is  tossed 
about,  and  Bradley  is  knocked  over  the  side,  but  his  foot  catching  under  the 
seat,  he  is  dragged  along  in  the  water,  with  his  head  down;  making  great 
exertion,  he  seizes  the  gunwale  with  his  left  hand,  and  can  lift  his  head  above 
water  now  and  then.  To  us  who  are  below,  it  seems  impossible  to  keep  the 
boat  from  going  under  the  overhanging  cliff;  but  Powell,  for  the  moment, 
heedless  of  Bradley's  mishap,  pulls  with  all  his  power  for  half  a  dozen 
strokes,  when  the  danger  is  past;  then  he  seizes  Bradley,  and  pulls  him  in. 
The  men  in  the  boat  above,  seeing  this,  land,  and  she  is  let  down  by  lines. 

Just  here  we  emerge  from  the  Canon  of  Desolation,  as  we  have  named 
7  COL 


50      EXPLORATION  OP  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

it,  into  a  more  open  country,  which  extends  for  a  distance  of  nearly  a  mile, 
when  we  enter  another  canon,  cut  through  gray  sandstone. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  meet  with  a  new  difficulty. 
The  river  fills  the  entire  channel;  the  walls  are  vertical  on  either  side,  from 
the  water's  edge,  and  a  bad  rapid  is  beset  with  rocks.  We  come  to  the  head 
of  it,  and  land  on  a  rock  in  the  stream;  the  little  boat  is  let  down  to  another 
rock  below,  the  men  of  the  larger  boat  holding  to  the  line;  the  second  boat 
is  let  down  in  the  same  way,  and  the  line  of  the  third  boat  is  brought  with 
them.  Now,  the  third  boat  pushes  out  from  the  upper  rock,  and,  as  we  have 
her  line  below,  we  pull  in  and  catch  her,  as  she  is  sweeping  by  at  the  foot  of 
the  rock  on  which  we  stand.  Again  the  first  boat  is  let  down  stream  the  full 
length  of  her  line,  and  the  second  boat  is  passed  down  by  the  first  to  the 
extent  of  her  line,  which  is  held  by  the  men  in  the  first  boat ;  so  she  is  two 
lines'  length  from  where  she  started.  Then  the  third  boat  is  let  down  past 
the  second,  and  still  down,  nearly  to  the  length  of  her  line,  so  that  she  is 
fast  to  the  second  boat,  and  swinging  down  three  lines'  lengths,  with  the 
other  two  boats  intervening.  Held  in  this  way,  the  men  are  able  to  pull 
her  into  a  cove,  in  the  left  wall,  where  she  is  made  fast.  But  this  leaves  a 
man  on  the  rock  above,  holding  to  the  line  of  the  little  boat.  When  all  is 
ready,  he  springs  from  the  rock,  clinging  to  the  line  with  one  hand,  and 
swimming  with  the  other,  and  we  pull  him  in  as  he  goes  by.  As  the  two 
boats,  thus  loosened,  drift  down,  the  men  in  the  cove  pull  us  all  in,  as  we 
come  opposite;  then  we  pass  around  to  a  point  of  rock  below  the  cove,  close 
to  the  wall,  land,  and  make  a  short  portage  over  the  worst  places  in  the  rapid, 
and  start  again. 

At  night  we  camp  on  a  sand  beach;  the  wind  blows  a  hurricane;  the 
drifting  sand  almost  blinds  us;  and  nowhere  can  we  find  shelter.  The  wind 
continues  to  blow  all  night;  the  sand  sifts  through  our  blankets,  and  piles 
over  us,  until  we  are  covered  as  in  a  snow-drift.  We  are  glad  when  morn 
ing  comes. 

July  13. — This  morning,  we  have  an  exhilarating  ride.  The  river  is 
swift,  and  there  are  many  smooth  rapids.  I  stand  on  deck,  keeping  careful 
watch  ahead,  and  we  glide  along,  mile  after  mile,  plying  strokes  now  on  the 
right,  and  then  on  the  left,  just  sufficient  to  guide  our  boats  past  the  rocks  into 


Figure  18.— Gtumison's  Butte  at  the  foot  of  Gray  Canon.     (2,700  feet  higb.) 


GUNNISON'S  CROSSING.  51 

smooth  water.  At  noon  we  emerge  from  Gray  Canon,  as  we  have  named 
it,  and  camp,  for  dinner,  under  a  cotton  wood  tree,  standing  on  the  left  bank. 

Extensive  sand  plains  extend  back  from  the  immediate  river  valley,  as 
far  as  we  can  see,  on  either  side.  These  naked,  drifting  sands  gleam  bril 
liantly  in  the  midday  sun  of  July.  The  reflected  heat  from  the  glaring 
surface,  produces  a  curious  motion  of  the  atmosphere;  little  currents  are 
generated,  and  the  whole  seems  to  be  trembling  and  moving  about  in  many 
directions,  or,  failing  to  see  that  the  movement  is  in  the  atmosphere,  it  gives 
the  impression  of  an  unstable  land.  Plains,  and  liills,  and  cliffs,  and  distant 
mountains  seem  vaguely  to  be  floating  about  in  a  trembling,  wave  rocked 
sea,  and  patches  of  landscape  will  seem  to  float  away,  and  be  lost,  and  then 
re-appear. 

Just  opposite,  there  are  buttes,  that  are  outliers  of  cliffs  to  the  left. 
Below,  they  are  composed  of  shales  and  ma,rls  of  light  blue  and  slate  colors ; 
and  above,  the  rocks  are  buff  and  gray,  and  then  brown.  The  buttes  are 
buttressed  below,  where  the  azure  rocks  are  seen,  and  terraced  above  through 
the  gray  and  brown  beds.  A  long  line  of  cliffs  or  rock  escarpments  separate 
the  table  lands,  through  which  Gray  Canon  is  cut,  from  the  lower  plain. 
The  eye  can  trace  these  azure  beds  and  cliffs,  on  either  side  of  the  river,  in 
a  long  line,  extending  across  its  course,  until  they  fade  away  in  the  per 
spective.  These  cliffs  are  many  miles  in  length,  and  hundreds  of  feet  high ; 
and  all  these  buttes — great  mountain-masses  of  rock — are  dancing  and  fading 
away,  and  re-appearing,  softly  moving  about,  or  so  they  seem  to  the  eye,  as 
seen  through  the  shifting  atmosphere. 

This  afternoon,  our  way  is  through  a  valley,  with  cottonwood  groves 
on  either  side.  The  river  is  deep,  broad,  and  quiet. 

About  two  hours  from  noon  camp,  we  discover  an  Indian  crossing, 
where  a  number  of  rafts,  rudely  constructed  of  logs  and  bound  together  by 
withes,  are  floating  against  the  bank.  On  landing,  we  see  evidences  that  a 
party  of  Indians  have  crossed  within  a  very  few  days.  This  is  the  place 
where  the  lamented  Gunnison  crossed,  in  the  year  1853,  when  making  an 
exploration  for  a  railroad  route  to  the  Pacific  coast 

An  hour  later,  we  run  a  long  rapid,  and  stop  at  its  foot  to  examine  some 


52  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

curious  rocks,  deposited  by  mineral  springs  that  at  one  time  must  have 
existed  here,  but  which  are  no  longer  flowing. 

July  14. — This  morning,  we  pass  some  curious  black  bluffs  on  the  right, 
then  two  or  three  short  canons,  and  then  we  discover  the  mouth  of  the  San 
Rafael,  a  stream  which  comes  down  from  the  distant  mountains  in  the  west. 
Here  we  stop  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  take  a  short  walk  up  the  valley,  and 
find  it  is  a  frequent  resort  for  Indians.  Arrow  heads  are  scattered  about, 
many  of  them  very  beautiful.  Flint  chips  are  seen  strewn  over  the  ground 
in  great  profusion,  and  the  trails  are  well  worn. 

Starting  after  dinner,  we  pass  some  beautiful  buttes  on  the  left,  many 
of  which  are  very  symmetrical.  They  are  chiefly  composed  of  gypsum  of 
many  hues,  from  light  gray  to  slate  color ;  then  pink,  purple,  and  brown 
beds. 

Now,  we  enter  another  caiion.  Gradually  the  walls  rise  higher  and 
higher  as  we  proceed,  and  the  summit  of  the  canon  is  formed  of  the  same 
beds  of  orange  colored  sandstone.  Back  from  the  brink,  the  hollows  of  the 
plateau  are  filled  with  sands  disintegrated  from  these  orange  beds.  They 
are  of  rich  cream  color,  shaded  into  maroon,  everywhere  destitute  of  vege 
tation,  and  drifted  into  long,  wave  like  ridges. 

The  course  of  the  river  is  tortuous,  and  it  nearly  doubles  upon  itself 
many  times.  The  water  is  quiet,  and  constant  rowing  is  necessary  to  make 
much  headway.  Sometimes,  there  is  a  narrow  flood  plain  between  the  river 
and  the  wall,  on  one  side  or  the  other.  Where  these  long,  gentle  curves 
are  found,  the  river  washes  the  very  foot  of  the  outer  wall.  A  long  penin 
sula  of  willow  bordered  meadow  projects  within  the  curve,  and  the  talus,  at 
the  foot  of  the  cliff,  is  usually  covered  with  dwarf  oaks.  The  orange  colored 
sandstone  is  very  homogeneous  in  structure,  and  the  walls  are  usually  ver 
tical,  though  not  very  high.  Where  the  river  sweeps  around  a  curve  under 
a  cliff,  a  vast  hollow  dome  may  be  seen,  with  many  caves  and  deep  alcoves, 
that  are  greatly  admired  by  the  members  of  the  party,  as  we  go  by. 

We  camp  at  night  on  the  left  bank. 

July  15. — Our  camp  is  in  a  great  bend  of  the  canon.  The  perimeter 
of  the  curve  is  to  the  west,  and  we  are  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Just 
opposite,  a  little  stream  comes  down  through  a  narrow  side  canon.  We  cross, 


TRIN-ALCOVE  BEND.  53 

and  go  up  to  explore  it.  Just  at  its  mouth,  another  lateral  canon  enters,  in 
the  angle  between  the  former  and  the  main  canon  above.  Still  another 
enters  in  the  angle  between  the  canon  below  and  the  side  canon  first  men 
tioned,  so  that  three  side  canons  enter  at  the  same  point  These  canons 
are  very  tortuous,  almost  closed  ii\  from  view,  and,  seen  from  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  they  appear  like  three  alcoves ;  and  we  name  this  Trin- 
Alcove  Bend. 

Going  up  the  little  stream,  in  the  central  cove,  we  pass  between  high 
walls  of  sandstone,  and  wind  about  in  glens.  Springs  gush  from  the  rocks 
at  the  foot  of  the  walls;  narrow  passages  in  the  rocks  are  threaded,  caves 
are  entered,  and  many  side  canons  are  observed. 

The  right  cove  is  a  narrow,  winding  gorge,  with  overhanging  walls, 
almost  shutting  out  the  light. 

The  left  is  an  amphitheater,  turning  spirally  up,  with  overhanging 
shelves.  A  series  of  basins,  filled  with  water,  are  seen  at  different  altitudes, 
as  we  pass  up ;  huge  rocks  are  piled  below  on  the  right,  and  overhead  there 
is  an  arched  ceiling.  After  exploring  these  alcoves,  we  recross  the  river, 
and  climb  the  rounded  rocks  on  the  point  of  the  bend.  In  every  direction, 
as  far  as  we  are  able  to  see,  naked  rocks  appear.  Buttes  are  scattered  on 
the  landscape,  here  rounded  into  cones,  there  buttressed,  columned,  and 
carved  in  quaint  shapes,  with  deep  alcoves  and  sunken  recesses.  All  about 
us  are  basins,  excavated  in  the  soft  sandstones;  and  these  have  been  filled  by 
the  late  rains. 

Over  the  rounded  rocks  and  water  pockets  we  look  off  on  a  fine  stretch 
of  river,  and  beyond  are  naked  rocks  and  beautiful  buttes  to  the  Azure 
Cliffs,  and  beyond  these,  and  above  them,  the  Brown  Cliffs,  and  still  beyond, 
mountain  peaks ;  and  clouds  piled  over  all. 

On  we  go,  after  dinner,  with  quiet  water,  still  compelled  to  row,  in 
order  to  make  fair  progress.  The  canon  is  yet  very  tortuous. 

About  six  miles  below  noon  camp,  we  go  around  a  great  bend  to  the 
right,  five  miles  in  length,  and  come  back  to  a  point  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  where  we  started.  Then  we  sweep  around  another  great  bend  to 
the  left,  making  a  circuit  of  nine  miles,  and  come  back  to  a  point  within 
six  hundred  yards  of  the  beginning  of  the  bend.  In  the  two  circuits,  we 


54      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CAStONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

describe  almost  the  figure  8.  The  men  call  it  a  bow-knot  of  river;  so  .we 
name  it  Bow-knot  Bend.  The  line  of  the  figure  is  fourteen  miles  in  length. 

There  is  an  exquisite  charm  in  our  ride  to-day  down  this  beautiful 
canon.  It  gradually  grows  deeper  with  every  mile  of  travel;  the  walls  are 
symmetrically  curved,  and  grandly  arched;  of  a  beautiful  color,  and  reflected 
in  the  quiet  waters  in  many  places,  so  as  to  almost  deceive  the  eye,  and  sug 
gest  the  thought,  to  the  beholder,  that  he  is  looking  into  profound  depths. 
We  are  all  in  fine  spirits,  feel  very  gay,  and  the  badinage  of  the  men  is 
echoed  from  wall  to  wall.  Now  and  then  we  whistle,  or  shout,  or  discharge 
a  pistol,  to  listen  to  the  reverberations  among  the  cliffs. 

At  night  we  camp  on  the  south  side  of  the  great  Bow-knot,  and,  as  we 
eat  our  supper,  which  is  spread  on  the  beach,  we  name  this  Labyrinth  Canon. 

July  16. — Still  we  go  down,  on  our  winding  way.  We  pass  tower  cliffs, 
then  we  find  the  river  widens  out  for  several  miles,  and  meadows  are  seen 
on  either  side,  between  the  river  and  the  walls.  We  name  this  expansion  of 
the  river  Tower  Park. 

At  two  o'clock  we  emerge  from  Labyrinth  Canon,  and  go  into  camp. 

July  1 7. — The  line  which  separates  Labyrinth  Canon  from  the  one  below 
is  but  a  line,  and  at  once,  this  morning,  we  enter  another  canon.  The  water 
fills  the  entire  channel,  so  that  nowhere  is  there  room  to  land.  The  walls 
are  low,  but  vertical,  and,  as  we  proceed,  they  gradually  increase  in  altitude. 
Running  a  couple  of  miles,  the  river  changes  its  course  many  degrees, 
toward  the  east.  Just  here,  a  little  stream  comes  in  on  the  right,  and  the 
wall  is  broken  down ;  so  we  land,  and  go  out  to  take  a  view  of  the  surround 
ing  country.  We  are  now  down  among  the  buttes,  and  in  a  region,  the 
surface  of  which  is  naked,  solid  rock — a  beautiful  red  sandstone,  forming  a 
smooth,  undulating  pavement.  The  Indians  call  this  the  uToom'-pin  Tu- 
weap' "  or  "Rock  Land,"  and  sometimes  the  "  Toom'-pin  wu-near'  Tu-weap' ?' 
pr  "Land  of  Standing  Rock." 

Off  to  the  south  we  see  a  butte,  in  the  form  of  a  fallen  cross.  It  is 
Several  miles  away,  still  it  presents  no  inconspicuous  figure  on  the  landscape, 
jand  must  be  many  hundreds  of  feet  high,  probably  more  than  two  thou 
sand.  We  note  its  position  on  our  map,  and  name  it  "The  Butte  of  the  Cross." 

We  continue  our  journey.     In  many  places  the  walls,  which  rise  from 


Figure  19. — Buttes  of  the  Cross  in  the  Tooni  -pin  Wu-near'  Tu-weap' 


BONITA  BEND.  55 

the  water's  edge,  are  overhanging  on  either  side.  The  stream  is  still  quiet, 
and  we  glide  along,  through  a  strange,  weird,  grand  region.  The  landscape 
everywhere,  away  from  the  river,  is  of  rock — cliffs  of  rock;  tables  of  rock; 
plateaus  of  rock;  terraces  of  rock;  crags  of  rock — ten  thousand  strangely 
carved  forms.  Rocks  everywhere,  and  no  vegetation;  no  soil;  no  sand.  In 
long,  gentle  curves,  the  river  windl^about  these  rocks. 

When  speaking  of  these  rocks,  we  must  not  conceive  of  piles  of  bould 
ers,  or  heaps  of  fragments,  but  a  whole  land  of  naked  rock,  with  giant 
forms  carved  on  it:  cathedral  shaped  buttes,  towering  hundreds  or  thousands 
of  feet;  cliffs  that  cannot  be  scaled,  and  canon  walls  that  shrink  the  river 
into  insignificance,  with  vast,  hollow  domes,  and  tall  pinnacles,  and  shafts 
set  on  the  verge  overhead,  and  all  highly  colored — buff,  gray,  red,  brown,  and 
chocolate;  never  lichened;  never  moss-covered;  but  bare,  and  often  polished. 

We  pass  a  place,  where  two  bends  of  the  river  come  together,  an  inter 
vening  rock  having  been  worn  away,  and  a  new  channel  formed  across. 
The  old  channel  ran  in  a  great  circle  around  to  the  light,  by  what  was  once 
a  circular  peninsula;  then  an  island;  then  the  water  left  the  old  channel 
entirely,  and  passed  through  the  cut,  and  the  old  bed  of  the  river  is  dry.  So 
the  great  circular  rock  stands  by  itself,  with  precipitous  walls  all  about  it, 
and  we  find  but  one  place  where  it  can  be  scaled.  Looking  from  its  sum 
mit,  a  long  stretch  of  river  is  seen,  sweeping  close  to  the  overhanging  cliffs 
on  the  right,  but  having  a  little  meadow  between  it  and  the  wall  on  the  left. 
The  curve  is  very  gentle  and  regular.  We  name  this  Bonita  Bend. 

And  just  here  we  climb  out  once  more,  to  take  another  bearing  on  The 
Butte  of  the  Cross.  Reaching  an  eminence,  from  which  we  can  overlook 
the  landscape,  we  are  surprised  to  find  that  our  butte,  with  its  wonderful 
form,  is  indeed  two  buttes,  one  so  standing  in  front  of  the  other  that,  from 
our  last  point  of  view,  it  gave  the  appearance  of  a  cross. 

Again,  a  few  miles  below  Bonita  Bend,  we  go  out  a  mile  or  two  along 
the  rocks,  toward  the  Orange  Cliffs,  passing  over  terraces  paved  with  jasper. 

The  cliffs  are  not  far  away,  and  we  soon  reach  them,  and  wander  in 
some  deep,  painted  alcoves,  which  attracted  our  attention  from  the  river ; 
then  we  return  to  our  boats. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  water  becomes  swift,  and  our  boats  make 


56      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CAKONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

great  speed.  An  hour  of  this  rapid  running  brings  us  to  the  junction  of  the 
Grand  and  Green,  the  foot  of  Still  water  Canon,  as  we  have  named  it. 

These  streams  unite  in  solemn  depths,  more  than  one  thousand  two  hun 
dred  feet  below  the  general  surface  of  the  country.  The  walls  of  the  lower 
end  of  Stillwater  Canon  are  very  beautifully  curved,  as  the  river  sweeps 
in  its  meandering  course.  The  lower  end  of  the  canon  through  which  the 
Grand  comes  down,  is  also  regular,  but  much  more  direct,  arid  we  look  up 
this  stream,  and  out  into  the  country  beyond,  and  obtain  glimpses  of  snow 
clad  peaks,  the  summits  of  a  group  of  mountains  known  as  the  Sierra  La  Sal. 
Down  the  Colorado,  the  canon  walls  are  much  broken. 

We  row  around  into  the  Grand,  and  camp  on  its  northwest  bank;  and 
here  we  propose  to  stay  several  days,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the 
latitude  and  longitude,  and  the  altitude  of  the  walls.  Much  of  the  night  is 
spent  in  making  observations  with  the  sextant. 


The  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  Uinta  to  the  head  of  the  Canon  of 
Desolation  is  twenty  and  three  quarters  miles.  The  Canon  of  Desolation  is 
ninety  seven  miles  long;  Gray  Canon  thirty  six.  The  course  of  the  river 
through  Gunnison's  Valley  is  twenty  seven  and  a  quarter  miles;  Labyrinth 
Canon,  sixty  two  and  a  half  miles. 

In  the  Canon  of  Desolation,  the  highest  rocks  immediately  over  the  river 
are  about  two  thousand  four  hundred  feet.  This  is  at  Log  Cabin  Cliff.  The 
highest  part  of  the  terrace  is  near  the  brink  of  the  Brown  Cliffs.  Climbing 
the  immediate  walls  of  the  canon,  and  passing  back  to  the  canon  terrace,  and 
climbing  that,  we  find  the  altitude,  above  the  river,  to  be  3,300  feet.  The 
lower  end  of  Gray  Canon  is  about  two  thousand  feet;  the  lower  end  of 
Labyrinth  Canon,  1,300  feet. 

Stillwater  Canon  is  forty  two  and  three  quarters  miles  long ;  the  highest 
walls,  1,300  feet. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FROM  THE  JUNCTION  OF  THE  GEAND  AND  GREEN  TO  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  LITTLE 

COLORADO. 

'  July  18. — The  day  is  spent  in  obtaining  the  time,  and  spreading  our 
rations,  which,  we  find,  are  badly  injured.  The  flour  has  been  wet  and 
dried  so  many  times  that  it  is  all  musty,  and  full  of  hard  lumps.  We  make 
a  sieve  of  mosquito  netting,  and  run  our  flour  through  it,  losing  more  than 
two  hundred  pounds  by  the  process.  Our  losses,  by  the  wrecking  of  the 
"No  Name,"  and  by  various  mishaps  since,  together  with  the  amount  thrown 
away  to  day,  leave  us  little  more  than  two  months'  supplies,  and,  to  make 
them  last  thus  long,  we  must  be  fortunate  enough  to  lose  no  more. 

We  drag  our  boats  on  shore,  and  turn  them  over  to  recalk  and  pitch 
them,  and  Sumner  is  engaged  in  repairing  barometers.  While  we  are  here, 
for  a  day  or  two,  resting,  we  propose  to  put  everything  in  the  best  shape  for 
a  vigorous  campaign. 

July  19. — Bradley  and  I  start  this  morning  to  climb  the  left  wall  below 
the  junction.  The  way  we  have  selected  is  up  a  gulch.  Climbing  for  an 
hour  over  and  among  the  rocks,  we  find  ourselves  in  a  vast  amphitheater, 
and  our  way  cut  off.  We  clamber  around  to  the  left  for  half  an  hour,  until 
we  find  that  we  cannot  go  up  in  that  direction.  Then  we  try  the  rocks 
around  to  the  right,  and  discover  a  narrow  shelf,  nearly  half  a  mile  long. 
In  some  places,  this  is  so  wide  that  we  pass  along  with  ease ;  in  others,  it  is 
so  narrow  and  sloping  that  we  are  compelled  to  lie  down  and  crawl.  We 
can  look  over  the  edge  of  the  shelf,  down  eight  hundred  feet,  and  see  the 
river  rolling  and  plunging  among  the  rocks.  Looking  up  five  hundred  feet, 
to  the  brink  of  the  cliff,  it  seems  to  blend  with  the  sky.  We  continue  along, 
until  we  come  to  a  point  where  the  wall  is  again  broken  down.  Up  we 
climb.  On  the  right,  there  is  a  narrow,  mural  point  of  rocks,  extending 
toward  the  river,  two  or  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  six  <  or  eight  hundred 
8  COL 


58      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

feet  long.  We  come  back  to  where  this  sets  in,  and  find  it  cut  off  from  the 
main  wall  by  a  great  crevice.  Into  this  we  pass.  And  now,  a  long,  narrow 
rock  is  between  us  and  the  river.  The  rock  itself  is  split  longitudinally  and 
transversely;  and  the  rains  on  the  surface  above  have  run  down  through  the 
crevices,  and  gathered  into  channels  below,  and  then  run  off  into  the  river. 
The  crevices  are  usually  narrow  above,  and,  by  erosion  of  the  streams, 
wider  below,  forming  a  net  work  of  caves ;  but  each  cave  having  a  narrow, 
winding  sky -light  up  through  the  rocks.  We  wander  among  these  corridors 
for  an  hour  or  two,  but  find  no  place  where  the  rocks  are  broken  down,  so 
that  we  can  climb  up.  At  last,  we  determine  to  attempt  a  passage  by  a 
crevice,  and  select  one  which  we  think  is  wide  enough  to  admit  of  the  pas 
sage  of  our  bodies,  and  yet  narrow  enough  to  climb  out  by  pressing  our 
hands  and  feet  against  the  walls.  So  we  climb  as  men  would  out  of  a  well. 
Bradley  climbs  first;  I  hand  him  the  barometer,  then  climb  over  his  head, 
and  he  hands  me  the  barometer.  So  we  pass  each  other  alternately,  until  we 
emerge  from  the  fissure,  out  on  the  summit  of  the  rock.  And  what  a  world 
of  grandeur  is  spread  before  us !  Below  is  the  canon,  through  which  the 
Colorado  runs.  We  can  trace  its  course  for  miles,  and  at  points  catch 
glimpses  of  the  river.  From  the  northwest  comes  the  Green,  in  a  narrow, 
winding  gorge.  From  the  northeast  comes  the  Grand,  through  a  canon  that 
seems  bottomless  from  where  we  stand.  Away  to  the  west  are  lines  of  cliffs 
and  ledges  of  rock — not  such  ledges  as  you  may  have  seen  where  the  quarry- 
man  splits  his  blocks,  but  ledges  from  which  the  gods  might  quarry  mount 
ains,  that,  rolled  out  on  the  plain  below,  would  stand  a  lofty  range ;  and  not 
such  cliffs  as  you  may  have  seen  where  the  swallow  builds  its  nest,  but  cliffs 
where  the  soaring  eagle  is  lost  to  view  ere  he  reaches  the  summit.  Between 
us  and  the  distant  cliffs  are  the  strangely  carved  and  pinnacled  rocks  of  the 
Toom'-pin  wu-near'  Tu-weap',  On  the  summit  of  the  opposite  wall  of  the 
canon  are  rock  forms  that  we  do  not  understand.  Away  to  the  east  a  group 
of  eruptive  mountains  are  seen— the  Sierra  La  Sal.  Their  slopes  are 
covered  with  pines,  and  deep  gulches  are  flanked  with  great  crags,  and 
snow  fields  are  seen  near  the  summits.  So  the  mountains  are  in  uniform, 
green,  gray,  arid  silver.  Wherever  we  look  there  is  but  a  wilderness  of 
rocks;  deep  gorges,  where  the  rivers  are  lost  below  cliffs  and  towers  and 


CLIMBING  THE  WALL.  59 

pinnacles ;  and  ten  thousand  strangely  carved  forms  in  every  direction ;  and 
beyond  them,  mountains  blending  with  the  clouds. 

Now  we  return  to  camp.  While  we  are  eating  supper,  we  very  natu 
rally  speak  of  better  fare,  as  musty  bread  and  spoiled  bacon  are  not  pleas 
ant.  Soon  I  see  Hawkins  downJby  the  boat,  taking  up  the  sextant,  rather 
a  strange  proceeding  for  him,  and  I  question  him  concerning  it.  He  replies 
that  he  is  trying  to  find  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  nearest  pie. 

July  20. — This  morning,  Captain  Powell  and  I  go  out  to  climb  the  west 
wall  of  the  canon,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  strange  rocks  seen 
yesterday  from  the  other  side.  Two  hours  bring  us  to  the  top,  at  a  point 
between  the  Green  and  Colorado,  overlooking  the  junction  of  the  rivers. 
A  long  neck  of  rock  extends  toward  the  mouth  of  the  Grand.  Out  on  this 
we  walk,  crossing  a  great  number  of  deep  crevices.  Usually,  the  smooth 
rock  slopes  down  to  the  fissure  on  either  side.  Sometimes  it  is  an  interest 
ing  question  to  us  whether  the  slope  is  not  so  steep  that  we  cannot  stand  on 
it.  Sometimes,  starting  down,  we  are  compelled  to  go  on,  and  we  are  not 
always  sure  that  the  crevice  is  not  too  wide  for  a  jump,  when  we  measure 
it  with  our  eye  from  above.  Probably  the  slopes  would  not  be  difficult  if 
there  was  not  a  fissure  at  the  lower  end;  nor  would  the  fissures  cause  fear 
if  they  were  but  a  few  feet  deep.  It  is  curious  how  a  little  obstacle  becomes 
a  great  obstruction,  when  a  misstep  would  land  a  man  in  the  bottom  of  a 
deep  chasm.  Climbing  the  face  of  a  cliff,  a  man  will  walk  along  a  step  or 
shelf,  but  a  few  inches  wide,  without  hesitancy,  if  the  landing  is  but  ten  feet 
below,  should  he  fall ;  but  if  the  foot  of  the  cliff  is  a  thousand  feet  down,  he 
will  crawl.  At  last  our  way  is  cut  off  by  a  fissure  so  deep  and  wide  that 
we  cannot  pass  it.  Then  we  turn  and  walk  back  into  the  country,  over  the 
smooth,  naked  sandstone,  without  vegetation,  except  that  here  and  there 
dwarf  cedars  and  pinon  pines  have  found  a  footing  in  the  huge  cracks. 
There  are  great  basins  in  the  rock,  holding  water ;  some  but  a  few  gallons, 
others  hundreds  of  barrels. 

The  day  is  spent  in  walking  about  through  these  strange  scenes.  A 
narrow  gulch  is  cut  into  the  wall  of  the  main  canon.  Follow  this  up,  and  you 
climb  rapidly,  as  if  going  up  a  mountain  side,  for  the  gulch  heads  but  a  few 


GO      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

hundred  or  a  few  thousand  yards  from  the  wall.  But  this  gulch  has  its  side 
gulches,  and,  as  you  come  near  to  the  summit,  a  group  of  radiating  canons 
is  found.  The  spaces  drained  by  these  little  canons  are  terraced,  and  are,  to 
a  greater  or  less  extent,  of  the  form  of  amphitheaters,  though  some  are 
oblong  and  some  rather  irregular.  Usually,  the  spaces  drained  by  any  two 
of  these  little  side  canons  are  separated  by  a  narrow  wall,  one,  two,  or  three 
hundred  feet  high,  and  often  but  a  few  feet  in  thickness.  Sometimes  the  wall 
is  broken  into  a  line  of  pyramids  above,  and  still  remains  a  wall  below. 
Now,  there  are  a  number  of  these  gulches  which  break  the  wall  of  the  main 
canon  of  the  Green,  each  one  having  its  system  of  side  canons  and  amphi 
theaters,  inclosed  by  walls,  or  lines  of  pinnacles.  The  course  of  the  Green, 
at  this  point,  is  approximately  at  right  angles  to  that  of  the  Colorado,  and  on 
the  brink  of  the  latter  canon  we  find  the  same  system  of  terraced  and  walled 
glens.  The  walls,  and  pinnacles,  and  towers  are  of  sandstone,  homogeneous 
in  structure,  but  not  in  color,  as  they  show  broad  bands  of  red,  buff,  and 
gray.  This  painting  of  the  rocks,  dividing  them  into  sections,  increases  their 
apparent  height.  In  some  places,  these  terraced  and  walled  glens,  along  the 
Colorado,  have  coalesced  with  those  along  the  Green ;  that  is,  the  intervening 
walls  are  broken  down.  It  is  very  rarely  that  a  loose  rock  is  seen.  The 
sand  is  washed  off  so  that  the  walls,  terraces,  and  slopes  of  the  glens  are  all 
of  smooth  sandstone. 

In  the  walls  themselves,  curious  caves  and  channels  have  been  carved. 
In  some  places,  there  are  little  stairways  up  the  walls;  in  others,  the  walls 
present  what  are  known  as  royal  arches;  and  so  we  wander  through  glens, 
and  among  pinnacles,  and  climb  the  walls  from  early  morn  until  late  in  the 
afternoon. 

July  21. — We  start  this  morning  on  the  Colorado.  The  river  is  rough, 
and  bad  rapids,  in  close  succession,  are  found.  Two  very  hard  portages  are 
made  during  the  forenoon.  After  dinner,  in  running  a  rapid,  the  "Emma 
Dean"  is  swamped,  and  we  are  thrown  into  the  river,  we  cling  to  her,  and 
in  the  first  quiet  water  below  she  is  righted  and  bailed  out;  but  three  oars  are 
lost  in  this  mishap.  The  larger  boats  land  above  the  dangerous  place,  and  we 
make  a  portage,  that  occupies  all  the  afternoon.  We  camp  at  night,  on  the 
rocks  on  the  left  bank,  and  can  scarcely  find  room  to  lie  down. 


Figure  20. — The  Heart  01  Cataract  Canon. 


CATARACT  CANON.  61 

July  22. — This  morning,  we  continue  our  journey,  though  short  of  oars. 
There  is  no  timber  growing  on  the  walls  within  our  reach,  and  no  drift  wood 
along  the  banks,  so  we  are  compelled  to  go  on  until  something  suitable  can 
be  found.  A  mile  and  three  quarters  below,  we  find  a  huge  pile  of  drift 
wood,  among  which  are  some  co^tonwood  logs.  From  these  we  select  one 
which  we  think  the  best,  and  the  men  are  set  at  work  sawing  oars.  Our 
boats  are  leaking  again,  from  the  strains  received  in  the  bad  rapids  yester 
day,  so,  after  dinner,  they  are  turned  over,  and  some  of  the  men  are  engaged 
in  calking  them. 

Captain  Powell  and  I  go  out  to  climb  the  wall  to  the  east,  for  we  can 
see  dwarf  pines  above,  and  it  is  our  purpose  to  collect  the  resin  which  oozes 
from  them,  to  use  in  pitching  our  boats.  We  take  a  barometer  with  us,  and 
find  that  the  walls  are  becoming  higher,  for  now  they  register  an  altitude, 
above  the  river,  of  nearly  fifteen  hundred  feet. 

July  23. — On  starting,  we  come  at  once  to  difficult  rapids  and  falls,  that, 
in  many  places,  are  more  abrupt  than  in  any  of  the  canons  through  which 
we  have  passed,  and  we  decide  to  name  this  Cataract  Canon. 

From  morning  until  noon,  the  course  of  the  river  is  to  the  west;  the 
scenery  is  grand,  with  rapids  and  falls  below,  and  walls  above,  beset  with 
crags  and  pinnacles.  Just  at  noon  we  wheel  again  to  the  south,  and  go  into 
camp  for  dinner. 

While  the  cook  is  preparing  it,  Bradley,  Captain  Powell,  and  myself 
go  up  into  a  side  canon,  that  comes  in  at  this  point.  We  enter  through  a  very 
narrow  passage,  having  to  wade  along  the  course  of  a  little  stream  until  a 
cascade  interrupts  our  progress.  Then  we  climb  to  the  right,  for  a  hundred 
feet,  until  we  reach  a  little  shelf,  along  which  we  pass,  walking  with  great 
care,  for  it  is  narrow,  until  we  pass  around  the  fall.  Here  the  gorge  widens 
into  a  spacious,  sky  roofed  chamber.  In  the  farther  end  is  a  beautiful  grove 
of  cottonwoods,  and  between  us  and  the  cottonwoods  the  little  stream  widens 
out  into  three  clear  lakelets,  with  bottoms  of  smooth  rock.  Beyond  the  cot 
tonwoods,  the  brook  tumbles,  in  a  series  of  white,  shining  cascades,  from 
heights  that  seem  immeasurable.  Turning  around,  we  can  look  through 
the  cleft  through  which  we  came,  and  see  the  river,  with  towering  walls 
beyond.  What  a  chamber  for  a  resting  place  is  this!  hewn  from  the  solid 


62      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

rock;  the  heavens  for  a  ceiling;  cascade  fountains  within;  a  grove  in  the 
conservatory,  clear  lakelets  for  a  refreshing  bath,  and  an  outlook  through  the 
doorway  on  a  raging  river,  with  cliffs  and  mountains  beyond. 

Our  way,  after  dinner,  is  through  a  gorge,  grand  beyond  description. 
The  walls  are  nearly  vertical;  the  river  broad  and  swift,  but  free  from  rocks 
and  falls.  From  the  edge  of  the  water  to  the  brink  of  the  cliffs  it  is  one 
thousand  six  hundred  to  one  thousand  eight  hundred  feet.  At  this  great 
depth,  the  river  rolls  in  solemn  majesty.  The  cliffs  are  reflected  from  the 
more  quiet  river,  and  we  seem  to  be  in  the  depths  of  the  earth,  and  yet  can 
look  down  into  waters  that  reflect  a  bottomless  abyss.  We  arrive,  early  in 
the  afternoon,  at  the  head  of  more  rapids  and  falls,  but,  wearied  with  past 
work,  we  determine  to  rest,  so  go  into  camp,  and  the  afternoon  and  evening 
are  spent  by  the  men  in  discussing  the  probabilities  of  successfully  navigat 
ing  the  river  below.  The  barometric  records  are  examined,  to  see  what 
descent  we  have  made  since  we  left  the  mouth  of  the  Grand,  and  what 
descent  since  we  left  the  Pacific  Eailroad,  and  what  fall  there  yet  must  be  to 
the  river,  ere  we  reach  the  end  of  the  great  calions.  The  conclusion  to 
which  the  men  arrive  seems  to  be  about  this :  that  there  are  great  descents 
yet  to  be  made,  but,  if  they  are  distributed  in  rapids  and  short  falls,  as  they 
have  been  heretofore,  we  will  be  able  to  "overcome  them.  But,  may  be,  we 
shall  come  to  a  fall  in  these  canons  which  we  cannot  pass,  where  the  walls 
rise  from  the  water's  edge,  so  that  we  cannot  land,  and  where  the  water  is 
so  swift  that  we  cannot  return.  Such  places  have  been  found,  except  that 
the  falls  were  not  so  great  but  that  we  could  run  them  with  safety.  How 
will  it  be  in  the  future !  So  they  speculate  over  the  serious  probabili 
ties  in  jesting  mood,  and  I  hear  Sumner  remark,  "My  idea  is,  we  had  better 
go  slow,  and  learn  to  peddle." 

July  24. — We  examine  the  rapids  below.  Large  rocks  have  fallen  from 
the  walls — great,  angular  blocks,  which  have  rolled  down  the  talus,  and  are 
strewn  along  the  channel.  We  are  compelled  to  make  three  portages  in 
succession,  the  distance  being  less  than  three  fourths  of  a  mile,  with  a  fall 
of  seventy  five  feet.  Among  these  rocks,  in  chutes,  whirlpools,  and  great 
waves,  with  rushing  breakers  and  foam,  the  water  finds  its  way,  still  tum 
bling  down.  We  stop  for  the  night,  only  three  fourths  of  a  mile  below  the 


REPAIRING  BOATS  AND  BAROMETERS.  63 

last  camp.  A  very  hard  day's  work  has  been  done,  and  at  evening  I  sit  on 
a  rock  by  the  edge  of  the  river,  to  look  at  the  water,  and  listen  to  its  roar. 
Hours  ago,  deep  shadows  had  settled  into  the  canon  as  the  sun  passed  behind 
the  cliffs.  Now,  doubtless,  the  sun  has  gone  down,  for  we  can  see  no  glint 
of  light  on  the  crags  above.  Darkness  is  coming  on.  The  waves  are  roll 
ing,  with  crests  of  foam  so  white  they  seem  almost  to  give  a  light  of  their 
own.  Near  by,  a  chute  of  water  strikes  the  foot  of  a  great  block  of  lime 
stone,  fifty  feet  high,  and  the  waters  pile  up  against  it,  and  roll  back.  Where 
there  are  sunken  rocks,  the  water  heaps  up  in  mounds,  or  even  in  cones. 
At  a  point  where  rocks  come  very  near  the  surface,  the  water  forms  a  chute 
above,  strikes,  and  is  shot  up  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  and  piles  back  in  gentle 
curves,  as  in  a  fountain;  and  on  the  river  tumbles  and  rolls. 

July  25. — Still  more  rapids  and  falls  to  day.  In  one,  the  "Emma  Dean" 
is  caught  in  a  whirlpool,  and  set  spinning  about ;  and  it  is  with  great  diffi 
culty  we  are  able  to  get  out  of  it,  with  the  loss  of  an  oar.  At  noon,  another 
is  made ;  and  on  we  go,  running  some  of  the  rapids,  letting  down  with  lines 
past  others,  and  making  two  short  portages.  We  camp  on  the  right  bank, 
hungry  and  tired. 

July  26. — We  run  a  short  distance  this  morning,  and  go  into  camp,  to 
make  oars  and  repair  boats  and  barometers.  The  walls  of  the  canon  have 
been  steadily  increasing  in  altitude  to  this  point,  and  now  they  are  more 
than  two  thousand  feet  high.  In  many  places,  they  are  vertical  from  the 
water's  edge ;  in  others,  there  is  a  talus  between  the  river  and  the  foot  of  the 
cliffs,  and  they  are  often  broken  down  by  side  canons.  It  is  probable  that 
the  river  is  nearly  as  low  now  as  it  is  ever  found.  High  water  mark  can  be 
observed  forty,  fifty,  sixty,  or  a  hundred  feet  above  its  present  stage.  Some 
times  logs  and  drift  wood  are  seen  wedged  into  the  crevice  overhead,  where 
floods  have  carried  them. 

About  ten  o'clock,  Powell,  Bradley,  Howland,  Hall,  and  myself  start 
up  a  side  canon  to  the  east.  We  soon  come  to  pools  of  water ;  then  to  a 
brook,  which  is  lost  in  the  sands  below;  and,  passing  up  the  brook,  we  find 
the  canon  narrows,  the  walls  close  in,  are  often  overhanging,  and  at  last  we 
find  ourselves  in  a  vast  amphitheater,  with  a  pool  of  deep,  clear,  cold  water 
on  the  bottom.  At  first,  our  way  seems  cut  off;  but  we  soon  discover  a 


64      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOKADO. 

little  shelf,  along  which  we  climb,  and,  passing  beyond  the  pool,  walk  a 
hundred  yards  or  more,  turn  to  the  right,  and  find  ourselves  in  another 
dome  shaped  amphitheater.  There  is  a  winding  cleft  at  the  top,  reaching 
out  to  the  country  above,  nearly  two  thousand  feet  overhead.  The  rounded, 
basin  shaped  bottom  is  filled  with  water  to  the  foot  of  the  walls.  There  is 
no  shelf  by  which  we  can  pass  around  the  foot.  If  we  swim  across,  we 
meet  with  a  face  of  rock  hundreds  of  feet  high,  over  which  a  little  rill  glides, 
and  it  will  be  impossible  to  climb.  So  we  can  go  no  farther  up  this  canon. 
Then  we  turn  back,  and  examine  the  walls  on  either  side  carefully,  to  dis 
cover,  if  possible,  some  way  of  climbing  out.  In  this  search,  every  man 
takes  his  own  course,  and  we  are  scattered.  I  almost  abandon  the  idea  of 
getting  out,  and  am  engaged  in  searching  for  fossils,  when  I  discover,  on 
the  north,  a  broken  place,  up  which  it  may  be  possible  for  me  to  climb. 
The  way,  for  a  distance,  is  up  a  slide  of  rocks ;  then  up  an  irregular  amphi 
theater,  on  points  that  form  steps  and  give  handhold,  and  then  I  reach  a 
little  shelf,  along  which  I  walk,  and  discover  a  vertical  fissure,  parallel  to 
the  face  of  the  wall,  and  reaching  to  a  higher  shelf.  This  fissure  is  narrow, 
and  I  try  to  climb  up  to  the  bench,  which  is  about  forty  feet  overhead.  I 
have  a  barometer  on  my  back,  which  rather  impedes  my  climbing.  The 
walls  of  the  fissure  are  of  smooth  limestone,  offering  neither  foot  nor  hand 
hold.  So  I  support  myself  by  pressing  my  back  against  one  wall  and  my 
knees  against  the  other,  and,  in  this  way,  lift  my  body,  in  a  shuffling  man 
ner,  a  few  inches  at  a  time,  until  I  have,  perhaps,  made  twenty  five  feet  of 
the  distance,  when  the  crevice  widens  a  little,  and  I  cannot  press  my  knees 
against  the  rocks  in  front  with  sufficient  power  to  give  me  support  in  lifting 
my  body,  and  I  try  to  go  back.  This  I  cannot  do  without  falling.  So  I 
struggle  along  sidewise,  farther  into  the  crevice,  where  it  narrows.  But  by 
this  time  my  muscles  are  exhausted,  and  I  cannot  climb  longer;  so  I  move 
still  a  little  farther  into  the  crevice,  where  it  is  so  narrow  and  wedging  that 
I  can  lie  in  it,  and  there  I  rest.  Five  or  ten  minutes  of  this  relief,  and  up 
once  more  I  go,  and  reach  the  bench  above.  On  this  I  can  walk  for  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  till  I  come  to  a  place  where  the  wall  is  again  broken 
down,  so  that  I  can  climb  up  still  farther,  and  in  an  hour  I  reach  the  sum 
mit.  I  hang  up  my  barometer,  to  give  it  a  few  minutes  time  to  settle,  and 


Figure  21. — Water  basin  in  Gypsum  Canon. 


GYPSUM  CASfON— A  SIDE  GOKGE.  65 

occupy  myself  in  collecting  resin  from  the  pinon  pines,  which  are  found  in 
great  abundance.  One  of  the  principal  objects  in  making  this  climb  was  to 
get  this  resin, -for  the  purpose  of  smearing  our  boats;  but  I  have  with  me 
no  means  of  carrying  it  down.  The  day  is  very  hot,  and  my  coat  was  left 
in  camp,  so  I  have  no  linings  to  tear  out.  Then  it  occurs  to  me  to  cut  off 
the  sleeve  of  my  shirt,  tie  it  up  at  "one  end,  and  in  this  little  sack  I  collect 
about  a  gallon  of  pitch.  After  taking  observations  for  altitude,  I  wander 
back  on  the  rock,  for  an  hour  or  two,  when  suddenly  I  notice  that  a  storm 
is  coming  from  the  south.  I  seek  a  shelter  in  the  rocks ;  but  when  the 
storm  bursts,  it  comes  down  as  a  flood  from  the  heavens,  not  with  gentle 
drops  at  first,  slowly  increasing  in  quantity,  but  as  if  suddenly  poured  out. 
I  am  thoroughly  drenched,  and  almost  washed  away.  It  lasts  not  more  than 
half  an  hour,  when  the  clouds  sweep  by  to  the  north,  and  I  have  sunshine 
again. 

In  the  mean  tune,  I  have  discovered  a  better  way  of  getting  down,  and 
I  start  for  camp,  making  the  greatest  haste  possible.  On  reaching  the  bot 
tom  of  the  side  canon,  I  find  a  thousand  streams  rolling  down  the  cliffs  on 
every  side,  carrying  with  them  red  sand ;  and  these  all  unite  in  the  canon 
below,  in  one  great  stream  of  red  mud. 

Traveling  as  fast  as  I  can  run,  I  soon  reach  the  foot  of  the  stream,  for 
the  rain  did  not  reach  the  lower  end  of  the  canon,  and  the  water  is  running 
down  a  dry  bed  of  sand;  and,  although  it  comes  in  waves,  several  feet  high 
and  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  width,  the  sands  soak  it  up,  and  it  is  lost.  But 
wave  follows  wave,  and  rolls  along,  and  is  swallowed  up ;  and  still  the  floods 
come  on  from  above.  I  find  that  I  can  travel  faster  than  the  stream ;  so  I 
hasten  to  camp,  and  tell  the  men  there  is  a  river  coming  down  the  canon. 
We  carry  our  camp  equipage  hastily  from  the  bank,  to  where  we  think  it 
will  be  above  the  water.  Then  we  stand  by,  and  see  the  river  roll  on  to 
join  the  Colorado.  Great  quantities  of  gypsum  are  found  at  the  bottom  of 
the  gorge ;  so  we  name  it  Gypsum  Canon. 

July  27. — We  have  more  rapids  and  falls  until  noon ;  then  we  come  to 
a  narrow  place  in  the  canon,  with  vertical  walls  for  several  hundred  feet, 
above  which  are  steep  steps  and  sloping  rocks  back  to  the  summits.  The 

river  is  very  narrow,  and  we  make  our  way  with  great  care  and  much 
9  COL 


66      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

anxiety,  hugging  the  wall  on  the  left,  and  carefully  examining  the  way 
before  us. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  we  pass  to  the  left,  around  a  sharp  point,  which 
is  somewhat  broken  down  near  the  foot,  and  discover  a  flock  of  mountain 
sheep  on  the  rocks,  more  than  a  hundred  feet  above  us.  We  quickly  land 
in  a  cove,  out  of  sight,  and  away  go  all  the  hunters  with  their  guns,  for  the 
sheep  have  not  discovered  us.  Soon,  we  hear  firing,  and  those  of  us  who 
have  remained  in  the  boats  climb  up  to  see  what  success  the  hunters  have 
had.  One  sheep  has  been  killed,  and  two  of  the  men  are  still  pursuing 
them.  In  a  few  minutes,  we  hear  firing  again,  and  the  next  moment  down 
come  the  flock,  clattering  over  the  rocks,  within  twenty  yards  of  us.  One 
of  the  hunters  seizes  his  gun,  and  brings  a  second  sheep  down,  and  the  next 
minute  the  remainder  of  the  flock  is  lost  behind  the  rocks.  We  all  give 
chase ;  but  it  is  impossible  to  follow  their  tracks  over  the  naked  rock,  and 
we  see  them  no  more.  Where  they  went  out  of  this  rock  walled  canon  is  a 
mystery,  for  we  can  see  no  way  of  escape.  Doubtless,  if  we  could  spare 
the  time  for  the  search,  we  could  find  some  gulch  up  which  they  ran. 

We  lash  our  prizes  to  the  deck  of  one  of  the  boats,  and  go  on  for  a 
short  distance ;  but  fresh  meat  is  too  tempting  for  us,  and  we  stop  early  to 
have  a  feast.  And  a  feast  it  is  !  Two  fine,  young  sheep.  We  care  not  for 
bread,  or  beans,  or  dried  apples  to  night ;  coffee  and  mutton  is  all  we  ask. 

July  28. — We  make  two  portages  this  morning,  one  of  them  very  long. 
During  the  afternoon  we  run  a  chute,  more  than  half  a  mile  in  length,  nar 
row  and  rapid.  This  chute  has  a  floor  of  marble ;  the  rocks  dip  in  the  direc 
tion  in  which  we  are  going,  and  the  fall  of  the  stream  conforms  to  the  incli 
nation  of  the  beds ;  so  we  float  on  water  that  is  gliding  down  an  inclined 
plane.  At  the  foot  of  the  chute,  the  river  turns  sharply  to  the  right,  and  the 
water  rolls  up  against  a  rock  which,  from  above,  seems  to  stand  directly 
athwart  its  course.  As  we  approach  it,  we  pull  with  all  our  power  to  the 
right,  but  it  seems  impossible  to  avoid  being  carried  headlong  against  the 
cliff,  and  we  are  earned  up  high  on  the  waves — not  against  the  rocks,  for 
the  rebounding  water  strikes  us,  and  we  are  beaten  back,  and  pass  on  with 
safety,  except  that  we  get  a  good  drenching. 

After  this,  the  walls  suddenly  close  in,  so  that  the  canon  is  narrower 


FARROW  CAffON.  67 

than  we  have  ever  known  it.  The  water  fills  it  from  wall  to  wall,  giving  us 
no  landing  place  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff;  the  river  is  very  swift,  the  canon 
is  very  tortuous,  so  that  we  can  see  but  a  few  hundred  yards  ahead;  the  walls 
tower  over  us,  often  overhanging  so  as  to  almost  shut  out  the  light.  I  stand 
on  deck,  watching  with  intense  anxiety,  lest  this  may  lead  us  into  some  dan 
ger;  but  we  glide  along,  with  no  obstruction,  no  falls,  no  rocks,  and,  in  a 
mile  and  a  half,  emerge  from  the  narrow  gorge  into  a  more  open  and  broken 
portion  of  the  canon.  Now  that  it  is  past,  it  seems  a  very  simple  thing 
indeed  to  run  through  such  a  place,  but  the  fear  of  what  might  be  ahead 
made  a  deep  impression  on  us. 

At  three  o'clock  we  arrive  at  the  foot  of  Cataract  Canon.  Here  a  long 
canon  valley  comes  down  from  the  east,  and  the  river  turns  sharply  to  the 
west  in  a  continuation  of  the  line  of  the  lateral  valley.  In  the  bend  on  the 
right,  vast  numbers  of  crags,  and  pinnacles,  and  tower  shaped  rocks  are 
seen.  We  call  it  Mille  Crag  Bend. 

And  now  we  wheel  into  another  canon,  on  swift  water,  unobstructed  by 
rocks.  This  new  canon  is  very  narrow  and  very  straight,  with  walls  verti 
cal  below  and  terraced  above.  The  brink  of  the  cliff  is  1,300  feet  above 
the  water,  where  we  enter  it,  but  the  rocks  dip  to  the  west,  and,  as  the  course 
of  the  canon  is  in  that  direction,  the  walls  are  seen  to  slowly  decrease  in 
altitude.  Floating  down  this  narrow  channel,  and  looking  out  through  the 
canon  crevice  away  in  the  distance,  the  river  is  seen  to  turn  again  to  the 
left,  and  beyond  this  point,  away  many  miles,  a  great  mountain  is  seen. 
Still  floating  down,  we  see  other  mountains,  now  to  the  right,  now  on  the 
left,  until  a  great  mountain  range  is  unfolded  to  view.  We  name  this  Nar 
row  Canon,  and  it  terminates  at  the  bend  of  the  river  below. 

As  we  go  down  to  this  point,  we  discover  the  mouth  of  a  stream,  which 
enters  from  the  right.  Into  this  our  little  boat  is  turned.  One  of  the  men 
in  the  boat  following,  seeing  what  we  have  done,  shouts  to  Dunn,  asking  if 
it  is  a  trout-stream.  Dunn  replies,  much  disgusted,  that  it  is  "a  dirty  devil," 
and  by  this  name  the  river  is  to  be  known  hereafter.  The  water  is  exceed 
ingly  muddy,  and  has  an  unpleasant  odor. 

Some  of  us  go  out  for  half  a  mile,  and  climb  a  butte  to  the  north.  The 
course  of  the  Dirty  Devil  River  can  be  traced  for  many  miles.  It  comes 


68  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

down  through  a  very  narrow  canon,  and  beyond  it,  to  the  southwest,  there 
is  a  long  line  of  cliffs,  with  a  broad  ten-ace,  or  bench,  between  it  and  the 
brink  of  the  cafion,  and  beyond  these  cliffs  is  situated  the  range  of  mount 
ains  seen  as  we  came  down  Narrow  Canon. 

Looking  up  the  Colorado,  the  chasm  through  which  it  rwns  can  be  seen, 
but  we  cannot  look  down  on  its  waters.  The  whole  country  is  a  region  of 
naked  rock,  of  many  colors,  with  cliffs  and  buttes  about  us,  and  towering 
mountains  in  the  distance. 

July  29. — We  enter  a  canon  to-day,  with  low,  red  walls.  A  short  dis 
tance  below  its  head  we  discover  the  ruins  of  an  old  building,  on  the  left  wall. 
There  is  a  narrow  plain  between  the  river  and  the  wall  just  here,  and  on 
the  brink  of  a  rock  two  hundred  feet  high  stands  this  old  house.  Its  walls 
are  of  stone,  laid  in  mortar,  with  much  regularity.  It  was  probably  built 
three  stories  high;  the  lower  story  is  yet  almost  intact;  the  second  is  much 
broken  down,  and  scarcely  anything  is  left  of  the  third.  Great  quantities 
of  flint  chips  are  found  on  the  rocks  near  by,  and  many  arrow  heads,  some 
perfect,  others  broken ;  and  fragments  of  pottery  are  strewn  about  in  great 
profusion.  On  the  face  of  the  cliff,  under  the  building,  and  along  down  the 
river,  for  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  there  are  many  etchings.  Two  hours 
are  given  to  the  examination  of  these  interesting  ruins,  then  we  run  down 
fifteen  miles  farther,  and  discover  another  group.  The  principal  building  was 
situated  on  the  summit  of  the  hill.  A  part  of  the  walls  are  standing,  to  the 
height  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  and  the  mortar  yet  remains,  in  some  places.  The 
house  was  in  the  shape  of  an  L,  with  five  rooms  on  the  ground  floor,  one  in 
the  angle,  and  two  in  each  extension.  In  the  space  in  the  angle,  there  is  a 
deep  excavation.  From  what  we  know  of  the  people  in  the  province  of 
Tusayan,  who  are,  doubtless,  of  the  same  race  as  the  former  inhabitants  of 
these  ruins,  we  conclude  that  this  was  a  "kiva,"  or  underground  chamber, 
in  which  their  religious  ceremonies  were  performed. 

We  leave  these  ruins,  and  run  down  two  or  three  miles,  and  go  into 
camp  about  mid-afternoon.  And  now  I  climb  the  wall  and  go  out  into  the 
back  country  for  a  walk. 

The  sandstone,  through  which  the  canon  is  cut,  is  red  and  homogeneous, 
being  the  same  as  that  through  which  Labyrinth  Canon  runs.  The  smooth, 


EUINS.  09 

naked,  rock  stretches  out  on  either  side  of  the  river  for  many  miles,  but 
curiously  carved  mounds  and  cones  are  scattered  everywhere,  and  deep  holes 
are  worn  out.  'Many  of  these  pockets  are  filled  with  water.  In  one  of  these 
holes,  or  wells,  twenty  feet  deep,  I  find  a  tree  growing.  The  excavation  is 
so  narrow  that  I  can  step  from  its  brink  to  a  limb  on  the  tree,  and  descend 
to  the  bottom  of  the  well  down  a  growing  ladder.  Many  of  these  pockets 
are  pot-holes,  being  found  in  the  courses  of  little  rills,  or  brooks,  that  run 
during  the  rains  which  occasionally  fall  in  this  region;  and  often  a  few  harder 
rocks,  which  evidently  assisted  in  their  excavation,  can  be  found  in  their 
bottoms.  Others,  which  are  shallower,  are  not  so  easily  explained.  Perhaps 
they  are  found  where  softer  spots  existed  in  the  sandstone,  places  that  yielded 
more  readily  to  atmospheric  degradation,  and  where  the  loose  sands  were 
carried  away  by  the  winds. 

Just  before  sundown,  I  attempt  to  climb  a  rounded  eminence,  from 
which  I  hope  to  obtain  a  good  outlook  on  the  surrounding  country.  It  is 
formed  of  smooth  mounds,  piled  one  above  another.  Up  these  I  climb, 
winding  here  and  there,  to  find  a  practicable  way,  until  near  the  summit 
they  become  too  steep  for  me  to  proceed.  I  search  about,  a  few  minutes,  for 
a  more  easy  way,  when  I  am  surprised  at  finding  a  stairway,  evidently  cut 
in  the  rock  by  hands.  At  one  place,  where  there  is  a  vertical  wall  of  ten 
or  twelve  feet,  I  find  an  old,  ricketty  ladder.  It  may  be  that  this  was  a 
watch-tower  of  that  ancient  people,  whose  homes  we  have  found  in  ruins. 
On  many  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Colorado  I  have  heretofore  examined 
their  deserted  dwellings.  Those  that  show  evidences  of  being  built  during 
the  latter  part  of  their  occupation  of  the  country,  are,  usually,  placed  on  the 
most  inaccessible  cliffs.  Sometimes,  the  mouths  of  caves  have  been  walled 
across,  and  there  are  many  other  evidences  to  show  their  anxiety  to  secure 
defensible  positions.  Probably  the  nomadic  tribes  were  sweeping  down 
upon  them,  and  they  resorted  to  these  cliffs  and  canons  for  safety.  It  is  not 
unreasonable  to  suppose  that  this  orange  mound  was  used  as  a  watch-tower. 
Here  I  stand,  where  these  now  lost  people  stood  centuries  ago,  and  look  over 
this  strange  country.  I  gaze  off  to  great  mountains,  in  the  northwest,  which 
are  slowly  covered  by  the  night  until  they  are  lost,  and  then  I  return  to 


70      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

camp.  It  is  no  easy  task  to  find  my  way  down  the  wall  in  the  darkness, 
and  I  clamber  about  until  it  is  nearly  midnight,  before  I  arrive. 

July  30. — We  make  good  progress  to  day,  as  the  water,  though  smooth, 
is  swift.  Sometimes,  the  canon  walls  are  vertical  to  the  top;  sometimes,  they 
are  vertical  below,  and  have  a  mound  covered  slope  above ;  in  other  places, 
the  slope,  with  its  mounds,  comes  down  to  the  water's  edge. 

Still  proceeding  on  our  way,  we  find  the  orange  sandstone  is  cut  in  two 
by  a  group  of  firm,  calcareous  strata,  and  the  lower  bed  is  underlaid  by  soft 
gypsiferous  shales.  Sometimes,  the  upper  homogeneous  bed  is  a  smooth, 
vertical  wall,  but  usually  it  is  carved  with  mounds,  with  gently  meandering 
valley  lines.  The  lower  bed,  yielding  to  gravity,  as  the  softer  shales  below 
work  out  into  the  river,  breaks  into  angular  surfaces,  often  having  a  columnar 
appearance.  One  could  almost  imagine  that  the  walls  had  been  carved  with 
a  purpose,  to  represent  giant  architectural  forms. 

In  the  deep  recesses  of  the  walls,  we  find  springs,  with  mosses  and  ferns 
on  the  moistened  sandstone. 

July  31. — We  have  a  cool,  pleasant  ride  to  day,  through  this  part  of  the 
canon.  The  walls  are  steadily  increasing  in  altitude,  the  curves  are  gentle, 
and  often  the  river  sweeps  by  an  arc  of  vertical  wall,  smooth  and  unbroken, 
and  then  by  a  curve  that  is  variegated  by  royal  arches,  mossy  alcoves,  deep, 
beautiful  glens,  and  painted  grottos. 

Soon  after  dinner,  we  discover  the  mouth  of  the  San  Juan,  where  we 
camp.  The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  is  given  to  hunting  some  way  by 
which  we  can  climb  out  of  the  canon ;  but  it  ends  in  failure. 

August  1. — We  drop  down  two  miles  this  morning,  and  go  into  camp 
again.  There  is  a  low,  willow  covered  strip  of  land  along  the  walls  on  the 
east.  Across  this  we  walk,  to  explore  an  alcove  which  we  see  from  the  river. 
On  entering,  we  find  a  little  grove  of  box-elder  and  cottonwood  trees ;  and, 
turning  to  the  right,  we  find  ourselves  in  a  vast  chamber,  carved  out  of  the 
rock.  At  the  upper  end  there  is  a  clear,  deep  pool  of  water,  bordered  with 
verdure.  Standing  by  the  side  of  this,  we  can  see  the  grove  at  the  en 
trance.  The  chamber  is  more  than  two  hundred  feet  high,  five  hundred  feet 
long,  and  two  hundred  feet  wide.  Through  the  ceiling,  and  on  through  the 
rocks  for  a  thousand  feet  above,  there  is  a  narrow,  winding  skylight ;  and 


Figure  22. — Glen  Canon. 


MUSIC  TEMPLE.  71 

this  is  all  carved  out  by  a  little  stream,  which  only  runs  during  the  few 
showers  that  fall  now  and  then  in  this  arid  country.  The  waters  from  the 
bare  rocks  back  of  the  canon,  gathering-  rapidly  into  a  small  channel,  have 
eroded  a  deep  side  canon,  through  which  they  run,  until  they  fall  into  the 
farther  end  of  this  chamber.  The  rock  at  the  ceiling  is  hard,  the  rock 
below,  very  soft  and  friable ;  and,  having  cut  through  the  upper  harder  por 
tion  down  into  the  lower  and  softer,  the  stream  has  washed  out  these  friable 
sandstones ;  and  thus  the  chamber  has  been  excavated. 

Here  we  bring  our  camp.  When  "Old  Shady"  sings  us  a  song  at  night, 
we  are  pleased  to  find  that  this  hollow  in  the  rock  is  filled  with  sweet  sounds. 
It  was  doubtless  made  for  an  academy  of  music  by  its  storm  born  architect; 
so  we  name  it  Music  Temple. 

August  2. — We  still  keep  our  camp  in  Music  Temple  to-day. 

1  wish  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  adjacent  country,  if  possible ;  so,  early 
in  the  morning,  the  men  take  me  across  the  river,  and  I  pass  along  by  the 
foot  of  the  cliff  half  a  mile  up  stream,  and  then  climb  first  up  broken 
ledges,  then  two  or  three  hundred  yards  up  a  smooth,  sloping  rock,  and 
then  pass  out  on  a  narrow  ridge.  Still,  I  find  I  have  not  attained  an  altitude 
from  which  I  can  overlook  the  region  outside  of  the  canon;  and  so  I  descend 
into  a  little  gulch,  and  climb  again  to  a  higher  ridge,  all  the  way  along  naked 
sandstone,  and  at  last  I  reach  a  point  of  commanding  view.  I  can  look 
several  miles  up  the  San  Juan,  and  a  long  distance  up  the  Colorado ;  and 
away  to  the  northwest  I  can  see  the  Henry  Mountains ;  to  the  northeast, 
the  Sierra  La  Sal ;  to  the  southeast,  unknown  mountains ;  and  to  the  south 
west,  the  meandering  of  the  canon.  Then  I  return  to  the  bank  of  the  river. 

We  sleep  again  in  Music  Temple.  -  _^. 

August  3. — Start  early  this  morning.  The  features  of  this  canon  are  \ 
greatly  diversified.  Still  vertical  walls  at  times.  These  are  usually  found 
to  stand  above  great  curves.  The  river,  sweeping  around  these  bends, 
undermines  the  cliffs  in  places.  Sometimes,  the  rocks  are  overhanging ;  in 
other  curves,  curious,  narrow  glens  are  found.  Through  these  we  climb, 
by  a  rough  stairway,  perhaps  several  hundred  feet,  to  where  a  spring  bursts 
out  from  under  an  overhanging  cliff,  and  where  cottonwoods  and  willows 
stand,  while,  along  the  curves  of  the  brooklet,  oaks  grow,  and  other  rich 


72  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

vegetation  is  seen,  in  marked  contrast  to  the  general  appearance  of  naked 
rock.     We  call  these  Oak  Glens. 

Other  wonderful  features  are  the  many  side  canons  or  gorges  that  we 
pass.  Sometimes,  we  stop  to  explore  these  for  a  short  distance.  In  some 
places,  their  walls  are  much  nearer  each  other  above  than  below,  so  that 
they  look  somewhat  like  caves  or  chambers  in  the  rocks.  Usually,  in  going 
up  such  a  gorge,  we  find  beautiful  vegetation ;  but  our  way  is  often  cut  off 
by  deep  basins,  or  pot-holes,  as  they  are  called. 

On  the  walls,  and  back  many  miles  into  the  country,  numbers  of 
monument  shaped  buttes  are  observed.  So  we  have  a  curious  ensemble 
of  wonderful  features — carved  walls,  royal  arches,  glens,  alcove  gulches, 
mounds,  and  monuments.  From  which  of  these  features  shall  we  select  a 
name?  We  decide  to  call  it  Glen  Canon. 

Past  these  towering  monuments,  past  these  mounded  billows  of  orange 
sandstone,  past  these  oak  set  glens,  past  these  fern  decked  alcoves,  past  these 
mural  curves,  we  glide  hour  after  hour,  stopping  now  and  then,  as  our  atten 
tion  is  arrested  by  some  new  wonder,  until  we  reach  a  point  which  is  historic. 

In  the  year  1776,  Father  Escalante,  a  Spanish  priest,  made  an  expedi 
tion  from  Santa  Fd  to  the  northwest,  crossing  the  Grand  and  Green,  and  then 
passing  down  along  the  Wasatch  Mountains  and  the  southern  plateaus,  until 
he  reached  the  Rio  Virgen.  His  intention  was  to  cross  to  the  Mission  of 
Monterey;  but,  from  information  received  from  the  Indians,  he  decided  that 
the  route  was  impracticable.  Not  wishing  to  return  to  Santa  Fe'  over  the 
circuitous  route  by  which  he  had  just  traveled,  he  attempted  to  go  by  one 
more  direct,  and  which  led  him  across  the  Colorado,  at  a  point  known  as 
El  vado  de  los  Padres.  From  the  description  which  we  have  read,  we  are 
enabled  to  determine  the  place.  A  little  stream  comes  down  through  a  very 
narrow  side  cafion  from  the  west.  It  was  down  this  that  he  came,  and  our 
boats  are  lying  at  the  point  where  the  ford  crosses.  A  well  beaten  Indian 
trail  is  seen  here  yet.  Between  the  cliff  and  the  river  there  is  a  little  meadow. 
The  ashes  of  many  camp  fires  are  seen,  and  the  bones  of  numbers  of  cattle 
are  bleaching  on  the  grass.  For  several  years  the  Navajos  have  raided  on 
the  Mormons  that  dwell  in  the  valleys  to  the  west,  and  they  doubtless  cross 
frequently  at  this  ford  with  their  stolen  cattle. 


Figure  23. — Side  Canon. 


Figure  24. — Island  Monument  in  Glen  Canon. 


MOUTH  OF  THE  PAEIA.  73 

August  4. — To  day  the  walls  grow  higher,  and  the  cafioii  much  nar 
rower.  Monuments  are  still  seen  on  either  side;  beautiful  glens,  and  alcoves, 
and  gorges,  and  side  canons  are  yet  found.  After  dinner,  we  find  the  river 
making  a  sudden  turn  to  the  northwest,  and  the  whole  character  of  the 
canon  changed.  The  walls  are  many  hundreds  of  feet  higher,  and  the  rocks 
are  chiefly  variegated  shales  of  beautiful  colors — creamy  orange  above,  then 
bright  vermilion,  and  below,  purple  and  chocolate  beds,  with  green  and 
yellow  sands.  We  run  four  miles  through  this,  in  a  direction  a  little  to  the 
west  of  north ;  wheel  again  to  the  west,  and  pass  into  a  portion  of  the  canon 
where  the  characteristics  are  more  like  those  above  the  bend.  At  night  we 
stop  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek  coming  in  from  the  right,  and  suppose  it  to  be 
the  Paria,  which  was  described  to  me  last  year  by  a  Mormon  missionary. 

Here  the  canon  terminates  abruptly  in  a  line  of  cliffs,  which  stretches 
from  either  side  across  the  river. 

August  5. — With  some  feeling  of  anxiety,  we  enter  a  new  canon  this 
morning.  We  have  learned  to  closely  observe  the  texture  of  the  rock.  In 
softer  strata,  we  have  a  quiet  river;  in  harder,  we  find  rapids  and  falls. 
Below  us  are  the  limestones  and  hard  sandstones,  which  we  found  in  Cata 
ract  Canon.  This  bodes  toil  and  danger.  Besides  the  texture  of  the  rocks, 
there  is  another  condition  which  affects  the  character  of  the  channel,  as  we 
have  found  by  experience.  Where  the  strata  are  horizontal,  the  river  is  often 
quiet;  but,"  even  though  it  may  be  very  swift  in  places,  no  great  obstacles 
are  found.  -  Where  the  rocks  incline  in  the  direction  traveled,  the  river  usually 
sweeps  with  great  velocity,  but  still  we  have  few  rapids  and  falls.  But 
where  the  rocks  dip  up  stream,  and  the  river  cuts  obliquely  across  the 
upturned  formations,  harder  strata  above,  and  softer  below,  we  have  rapids 
and  falls.  Into  hard  rocks,  and  into  rocks  dipping  up  stream,  we  pass  this 
morning,  and  start  on  a  long,  rocky,  mad  rapid.  On  the  left  there  is  a 
vertical  rock,  and  down  by  this  cliff  and  around  to  the  left  we  glide,  just 
tossed  enough  by  the  waves  to  appreciate  the  rate  at  which  we  are  traveling. 

The  canon  is  narrow,  with  vertical  walls,  which  gradually  grow  higher. 
More  rapids  and  falls  are  found.     We  come  to  one  with  a  drop  of  sixteen 
feet,  around  which  we  make  a  portage,  and  then  stop  for  dinner. 
10  COL 


74       EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

Then  a  run  of  two  miles,  and  another  portage,  long  and  difficult; 
we  camp  for  the  night,  on  a  bank  of  sand. 

August  6. — Canon  walls,  still  higher  and  higher,  as  we  go  down  through 
strata.  There  is  a  steep  talus  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  and,  in  some  places, 
the  upper  parts  of  the  walls  are  terraced. 

About  ten  o'clock  we  come  to  a  place  where  the  river  occupies  the 
entire  channel,  and  the  walls  are  vertical  from  the  water's  edge.  We  see  a 
fall  below,  and  row  up  against  the  cliff.  There  is  a  little  shelf,  or  rather  a 
horizontal  crevice,  a  few  feet  over  our  heads.  One  man  stands  on  the  deck 
of  the  boat,  another  climbs  on  his  shoulders,  and  then  into  the  crevice.  Then 
we  pass  him  a  line,  and  two  or  three  others,  with  myself,  follow;  then  we 
pass  along  the  crevice  until  it  becomes  a  shelf,  as  the  upper  part,  or  roof,  is 
broken  off.  On  this  we  walk  for  a  short  distance,  slowly  climbing  all  the 
way,  until  we  reach  a  point  where  the  shelf  is  broken  off,  and  we  can  pass 
no  farther.  Then  we  go  back  to  the  boat,  cross  the  stream,  and  get  some 
logs  that  have  lodged  in  the  rocks,  bring  them  to  our  side,  pass  them  along 
the  crevice  and  shelf,  and  bridge  over  the  broken  place.  Then  we  go  on  to 
a  point  over  the  falls,  but  do  not  obtain  a  satisfactory  view.  Then  we  climb 
out  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  and  walk  along  to  find  a  point  below  the  fall, 
from  which  it  can  be  seen.  From  this  point  it  seems  possible  to  let  down 
our  boats,  with  lines,  to  the  head  of  the  rapids,  and  then  make  a  portage ;  so 
we  return,  row  down  by  the  side  of  the  cliff,  as  far  as  we  dare,  and  fasten 
one  of  the  boats  to  a  rock.  Then  we  let  down  another  boat  to  the  end  of 
its  line  beyond  the  first,  and  the  third  boat  to  the  end  of  its  line  below  the 
second,  which  brings  it  to  the  head  of  the  fall,  and  under  an  overhanging 
rock.  Then  the  upper  boat,  in  obedience  to  a  signal,  lets  go;  we  pull  in 
the  line,  and  catch  the  nearest  boat  as  it  comes,  and  then  the  last.  Then  we 
make  a  portage,  and  go  on. 

We  go  into  camp  early  this  afternoon,  at  a  place  where  it  seems  possi 
ble  to  climb  out,  and  the  evening  is  spent  in  "making  observations  for  time." 

August  7. — The  almanac  tells  us  that  we  are  to  have  an  eclipse  of  the 
sun  to  day,  so  Captain  Powell  and  myself  start  early,  taking  our  instruments 
with  us,  for  the  purpose  of  making  observations  on  the  eclipse,  to  determine 
our  longitude.  Arriving  at  the  summit,  after  four  hours'  hard  climbing,  to 


Figure  25. — Noon-day  rest  in  Marble    Canon. 


"  WEATHERING  OUT"  THE  NIGHT.  75 

attain  2,300  feet  in  height,  we  hurriedly  build  a  platform  of  rocks,  on  which 
to  place  our  instruments,  and  quietly  wait  for  the  eclipse;  but  clouds  come 
on,  and  rain  falls,  and  sun  and  moon  are  obscured. 

Much  disappointed,  we  start  on  our  return  to  camp,  but  it  is  late,  and 
the  clouds  make  the  night  very  dart.  Still  we  feel  our  way  down  among 
the  rocks  with  great  care,  for  two  or  three  hours,  though  making  slow  prog 
ress  indeed.  At  last  we  lose  our  way,  and  dare  proceed  no  farther.  The  rain 
comes  down  in  torrents,  and  we  can  find  no  shelter.  We  can  neither  climb 
up  nor  go  down,  and  in  the  darkness  dare  not  move  about,  but  sit  and 
"weather  out"  the  night. 

August  8. — Daylight  comes,  after- a  long,  oh!  how  long  a  night,  and  we 
soon  reach  camp. 

After  breakfast  we  start  again,  and  make  two  portages  during  the  fore 
noon. 

The  limestone  of  this  canon  is  often  polished,  and  makes  a  beautiful 
marble.  Sometimes  the  rocks  are  of  many  colors — white,  gray,  pink,  and 
purple,  with  saffron  tints.  It  is  with  very  great  labor  that  we  make  progress, 
meeting  with  many  obstructions,  running  rapids,  letting  down  our  boats  with 
lines,  from  rock  to  rock,  and  sometimes  carrying  boats  and  cargoes  around 
bad  places.  We  camp  at  night,  just  after  a  hard  portage,  under  an  over 
hanging  wall,  glad  to  find  shelter  from  the  rain.  We  have  to  search  for 
some  time  to  find  a  few  sticks  of  driftwood,  just  sufficient  to  boil  a  cup  of 
coffee. 

The  water  sweeps  rapidly  in  this  elbow  of  river,  and  has  cut  its  way 
under  the  rock,  excavating  a  vast  half  circular  chamber,  which,  if  utilized 
for  a  theater,  would  give  sitting  to  fifty  thousand  people.  Objections  might 
be  raised  against  it,  from  the  fact  that,  at  high  water,  the  floor  is  covered 
with  a  raging  flood. 

August  9. — And  now,  the  scenery  is  on  a  grand  scale.  The  walls  of 
the  canon,  2,500  feet  high,  are  of  marble,  of  many  beautiful  colors,  and 
often  polished  below  by  the  waves,  or  far  up  the  sides,  where  showers  have 
washed  the  sands  over  the  cliffs. 

At  one  place  I  have  a  walk,  for  more  than  a  mile,  on  a  marble  pave 
ment,  all  polished  and  fretted  with  strange  devices,  and  embossed  in  a  thou- 


70     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

sand  fantastic  patterns.  Through  a  cleft  in  the  wall  the  sun  shines  on  this 
pavement,  which  gleams  in  iridescent  beaiity. 

I  pass  up  into  the  cleft.  It  is  very  narrow,  with  a  succession  of  pools 
standing  at  higher  levels  as  I  go  back.  The  water  in  these  pools  is  clear 
and  cool,  coming  down  from  springs.  Then  I  return  to  the  pavement,  which 
is  but  a  terrace  or  bench,  over  which  the  river  runs  at  its  flood,  but  left  bare 
at  present.  Along  the  pavement,  in  many  places,  are  basins  of  clear  water, 
in  strange  contrast  to  the  red  mud  of  the  liver.  At  length  I  come  to  the 
end  of  this  marble  terrace,  and  take  again  to  the  boat. 

Eiding  down  a  short  distance,  a  beautiful  view  is  presented.  The  river 
turns  sharply  to  the  east,  and  seems  inclosed  by  a  wall,  set  with  a  million 
brilliant  gems.  What  can  it  mean?  Every  eye  is  engaged,  every  one 
wonders.  On  coming  nearer,  we  find  fountains  bursting  from  the  rock,  high 
overhead,  and  the  spray  in  the  sunshine  forms  the  gems  which  bedeck  the 

wall.     The  rocks  below  the  fountain  are  covered  with  mosses,  and  ferns,  and 

f 

many  beautiful  flowering  plants.  We  name  it  Vasey's  Paradise,  in  honor 
of  the  botanist  who  traveled  with  us  last  year. 

We  pass  many  side  canons  to  day,  that  are  dark,  gloomy  passages, 
back  into  the  heart  of  the  rocks  that  form  the  plateau  through  which  this 
canon  is  cut. 

It  rains  again  this  afternoon.  Scarcely  do  the  first  drops  fall,  when 
little  rills  run  down  the  walls.  As  the  storm  comes  on,  the  little  rills  increase 
in  size,  until  great  streams  are  formed.  Although  the  walls  of  the  canon  are 
chiefly  limestone,  the  adjacent  country  is  of  red  sandstone ;  and  now  the 
waters,  loaded  with  these  sands,  come  down  in  rivers  of  bright  red  rnud, 
leaping  over  the  walls  in  innumerable  cascades.  It  is  plain  now  how  these 
walls  are  polished  in  many  places. 

At  last,  the  storm  ceases,  and  we  go  on.  We  have  cut  through  the 
sandstones  and  limestones  met  in  the  upper  part  of  the  canon,  and  through 
one  great  bed  of  marble  a  thousand  feet  in  thickness.  In  this,  great  num 
bers  of  caves  are  hollowed  out,  and  carvings  are  seen,  which  suggest  arch 
itectural  forms,  though  on  a  scale  so  grand  that  architectural  terms  belittle 
them.  As  this  great  bed  forms  a  distinctive  feature  of  the  canon,  we  call  it 
Marble  Canon. 


Figure  26.— Marble  Canon. 


MOUTH  OF  THE  COLOEADO  CHIQUITO.  77 

It  is  a  peculiar  feature  of  these  walls,  that  many  projections  are  set  out 
into  the  river,  as  if  the  wall  was  buttressed  for  support.  The  walls  them 
selves  are  half  a  mile  high,  and  these  buttresses  are  on  a  corresponding 
scale,  jutting  into  the  river  scores  of  feet.  In  the  recesses  between  these 
projections  there  are  quiet  bays,^except  at  the  foot  of  a  rapid,  when  they 
are  dancing  eddies  or  whirlpools.  Sometimes  these  alcoves  have  caves  at 
the  back,  giving  them  the  appearance  of  great  depth.  Then  other  caves 
are  seen  above,  forming  vast,  dome  shaped  chambers.  The  walls,  and  but 
tresses,  and  chambers  are  all  of  marble. 

The  river  is  now  quiet ;  the  canon  wider.  Above,  when  the  river  is  at 
its  flood,  the  waters  gorge  up,  so  that  the  difference  between  high  and  low 
water  mark  is  often  fifty  or  even  seventy  feet ;  but  here,  high- water  mark 
is  not  more  than  twenty  feet  above  the  present  stage  of'  the  river.  Some 
times  there  is  a  narrow  flood  plain  between  the  water  and  the  wall. 

Here  we  first  discover  mesquite  shrubs,  or  small  trees,  with  finely 
divided  leaves  and  pods,  somewhat  like  the  locust. 

August  10. — Walls  still  higher;  water,  swift  again.  We  pass  several 
broad,  ragged  canons  on  our  right,  and  up  through  these  we  catch  glimpses 
of  a  forest  clad  plateau,  miles  away  to  the  west. 

At  two  o'clock,  we  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  Chiquito.  This 
stream  enters  through  a  canon,  on  a  scale  quite  as  grand  as  that  of  the 
Colorado  itself.  It  is  a  very  small  river,  and  exceedingly  muddy  and  salt. 
I  walk  up  the  stream  three  or  four  miles,  this  afternoon,  crossing  and 
recrossing  where  I  can  easily  wade  it.  Then  I  climb  several  hundred  feet 
at  one  place,  and  can  see  up  the  chasm,  through  which  the  river  runs,  for 
several  miles.  On  my  way  back,  I  kill  two  rattlesnakes,  and  find,  on  my 
arrival,  that  another  has  been  killed  just  at  camp. 

August  11. — We  remain  at  this  point  to  day  for  the  purpose  of  deter 
mining  the  latitude  and  longitude,  measuring  the  height  of  the  walls,  drying 
our  rations,  and  repairing  our  boats. 

Captain  Powell,  early  in  the  morning,  takes  a  barometer,  and  goes  out 
to  climb  a  point  between  the  two  rivers. 

I  walk  down  the  gorge  to  the  left  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  climb  to  a 
bench,  and  discover  a  trail,  deeply  worn  in  the  rock.  Where  it  crosses  the 


78      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

side  gulches,  in  some  places,  steps  have  been  cut.  I  can  see  no  evidence 
of  its  having  been  traveled  for  a  long  time.  It  was  doubtless  a  path  used 
by  the  people  who  inhabited  this  country  anterior  to  the  present  Indian 
races — the  people  who  built  the  communal  houses,  of  which  mention  has 
been  made. 

I  return  to  camp  about  three  o'clock,  and  find  that  some  of  the  men 
have  discovered  ruins,  and  many  fragments  of  pottery;  also,  etchings  and 
hieroglyphics  on  the  rocks. 

We  find,  to  night,  on  comparing  the  readings  of  the  barometers,  that 
the  walls  are  about  three  thousand  feet  high — more  than  half  a  mile — an 
altitude  difficult  to  appreciate  from  a  mere  statement  of  feet.  The  ascent 
is  made,  not  by  a  slope  such  as  is  usually  found  in  climbing  a  mountain, 
but  is  much  more  abrupt — often  vertical  for  many  hundreds  of  feet — so 
that  the  impression  is  that  we  are  at  great  depths ;  and  we  look  up  to  see 
but  a  little  patch  of  sky. 

Between  the  two  streams,  above  the  Colorado  Chiquito,  in  some  places 
the  rocks  are  broken  and  shelving  for  six  or  seven  hundred  feet ;  then  there 
is  a  sloping  terrace,  which  can  only  be  climbed  by  finding  some  way  up  a 
gulch ;  then,  another  terrace,  and  back,  still  another  cliff.  The  summit  of 
the  cliff  is  three  thousand  feet  above  the  river,  as  our  barometers  attest 

Our  camp  is  below  the  Colorado  Chiquito,  and  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  canon. 

August  12. — The  rocks  above  camp  are  rust  colored  sandstones  and 
conglomerates.  Some  .are  very  hard ;  others  quite  soft.  These  all  lie 
nearly  horizontal,  and  the  beds  of  softer  material  have  been  washed  out, 
and  left  the  harder,  thus  forming  a  series  of  shelves.  Long  lines  of  these 
are  seen,  of  varying  thickness,  from  one  or  two  to  twenty  or  thirty  feet, 
and  the  spaces  between  have  the  same  variability.  This  morning,  I  spend 
two  or  three  hours  in  climbing  among  these  shelves,  and  then  I  pass  above 
them,  and  go  up  a  long  slope,  to  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  and  try  to  discover 
some  way  by  which  I  can  reach  the  top  of  the  wall ;  but  I  find  my  progress 
cut  off  by  an  amphitheater.  Then,  I  wander  away  around  to  the  left,  up  a 
little  gulch,  and  along  benches,  and  climb,  from  time  to  time,  until  I  reach 
an  altitude  of  nearly  two  thousand  feet,  and  can  get  no  higher.  From  this 


DISTANCES  AND  HEIGHTS.  79 

point,  I  can  look  off  to  the  west,  up  side  canons  of  the  Colorado,  and  see 
the  edge  of  a  great  plateau,  from  which  streams  run  down  into  the  Colorado, 
and  deep  gulches,  in  the  escarpment  which  faces  us,  continued  by  canons, 
ragged  and  flaring,  and  set  with  cliffs  and  towering  crags,  down  to  the  river. 
I  can  see  far  up  Marble  Canon,  to  long  lines  of  chocolate  colored  cliffs,  and 
above  these,  the  Vermilion  Cliffs.  I  can  see,  also,  up  the  Colorado  Chi- 
quito,  through  a  very  ragged  and  broken  canon,  with  sharp  salients  set  out 
from  the  walls  on  either  side,  their  points  overlapping,  so  that  a  huge  tooth 
of  marble,  on  one  side,  seems  to  be  set  between  two  teeth  on  the  opposite ; 
and  I  can  also  get  glimpses  of  walls,  standing  away  back  from  the  river, 
while  over  my  head  are  mural  escarpments,  not  possible  to  be  scaled. 


Cataract  Canon  is  forty  one  miles  long.  The  walls  are  1,300  feet  high 
at  its  head,  and  they  gradually  increase  in  altitude  to  a  point  about  half 
way  down,  where  they  are  2,700  feet,  and  then  decrease  to  1,300  feet  at  the 
foot.  Narrow  Canon  is  nine  and  a  half  miles  long,  with  walls  1,300  feet  in 
height  at  the  head,  and  coming  down  to  the  water  at  the  foot. 

There  is  very  little  vegetation  in  this  canon,  or  in  the  adjacent  country. 
Just  at  the  junction  of  the  Grand  and  Green,  there  are  a  number  of  hack- 
berry  trees  ;  and  along  the  entire  length  of  Cataract  Canon,  the  high-water 
line  is  marked  by  scattered  trees  of  the  same  species.  A  few  nut-pines  and 
cedars  are  found,  and  occasionally  a  red-bud  or  judas  tree ;  but  the  general 
aspect  of  the  canons,  and  of  the  adjacent  country,  is  that  of  naked  rock. 

The  distance  through  Glen  Canon  is  149  miles.  Its  walls  vary  from  two 
or  three  hundred  to  sixteen  hundred  feet.  Marble  Canon  is  65^  miles  long. 
At  its  head,  it  is  200  feet  deep,  and  steadily  increases  in  depth  to  its  foot, 
where  its  walls  are  3,500  feet  high. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

August  13. — We  are  now  ready  to  start  on  our  way  down  the  Great 
Unknown.  Our  boats,  tied  to  a  common  stake,  are  chafing  each  other,  as 
they  are  tossed  by  the  fretful  river.  They  ride  high  and  buoyant,  for  their 
loads  are  lighter  than  we  could  desire.  We  have  but  a  month's  rations 
remaining.  The  flour  has  been  resifted  through  the  mosquito  net  sieve ;  the 
spoiled  bacon  has  been  dried,  and  the  worst  of  it  boiled ;  the  few  pounds  of 
dried  apples  have  been  spread  in  the  sun,  and  reshrunken  to  their  normal 
bulk ;  the  sugar  has  all  melted,  and  gone  on  its  way  down  the  river ;  but 
we  have  a  large  sack  of  coffee.  The  lighting  of  the  boats  has  this  advan 
tage:  they  will  ride  the  waves  better,  and  we  shall  have  but  little  to  carry 
when  we  make  a  portage. 

We  are  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  the  depths  of  the  earth,  and  the 
great  river  shrinks  into  insignificance,  as  it  daskas  its  angry  waves  against 
the  walls  and  cliffs,  that  rise  to  the  world  above ;  they  are  but  puny  ripples, 
and  we  but  pigmies,  running  up  and  down  the  sands,  or  lost  among  the 
boulders. 

We  have  an  unknown  distance  yet  to  run;  an  unknown  river  yet  to 
explore.  What  falls  there  are,  we  know  not;  what  rocks  beset  the  channel, 
we  know  not;  what  walls  rise  over  the  river,  we  know  not.  Ah,  well!  we 
may  conjecture  many  things.  The  men  talk  as  cheerfully  as  ever;  jests  are 
bandied  about  freely  this  morning;  but  to  me  the  cheer  is  somber  and  the 
jests  are  ghastly. 

With  some  eagerness,  and  some  anxiety,  and  some  misgiving,  we  enter 
the  canon  below,  and  are  carried  along  by  the  swift  water  through  walls 
which  rise  from  its  very  edge.  They  have  the  same  structure  as  we  noticed 
yesterday — tiers  of  irregular  shelves  below,  and,  above  these,  steep  slopes 
to  the  foot  of  marble  cliffs.  We  run  six  miles  in  a  little  more  than  half  an 


Figure  27. — View  from  camp  at  the  month  01  the  Little  Colorado,  looking  west. 


ENTEKING  THE  GBANITE.  81 

hour,  and  emerge  into  a  more  open  portion  of  the  canon,  where  high  hills 
and  ledges  of  rock  intervene  between  the  river  and  the  distant  walls.  Just 
at  the  head  of  this  open  place  the  river  runs  across  a  dike :  that  is,  a  fissure 
in  the  rocks,  open  to  depths  below,  has  been  filled  with  eruptive  matter,  and 
this,  on  cooling,  was  harder  than  the  rocks  through  which  the  crevice  was 
made,  and,  when  these  were  washed  away,  the  harder  volcanic  matter 
remained  as  a  wall,  and  the  river  has  cut  a  gate-way  through  it  several  hun 
dred  feet  high,  and  as  many  wide.  As  it  crosses  the  wall,  there  is  a  fall 
below,  and  a  bad  rapid,  filled  with  boulders  of  trap;  so  we  stop  to  make  a 
portage.  Then  on  we  go,  gliding  by  hills  and  ledges,  with  distant  walls  in 
view;  sweeping  past  sharp  angles  of  rock;  stopping  at  a  few  points  to  exam 
ine  rapids,  which  we  find  can  be  run,  until  we  have  made  another  five 
miles,  when  we  land  for  dinner. 

Then  we  let  down  with  lines,  over  a  long  rapid,  and  start  again.  Once 
more  the  walls  close  in,  and  we  find  ourselves  in  a  narrow  gorge,  the  water 
again  filling  the  channel,  and  very  swift.  With  great  care,  and  constant 
watchfulness,  we  proceed,  making  about  four  miles  this  afternoon,  and  camp 
in  a  cave. 

August  14. — At  daybreak  we  walk  down  the  bank  of  the  river,  on  a 
little  sandy  beach,  to  take  a  view  of  a  new  feature  in  the  canon.  Hereto 
fore,  hard  rocks  have  given  us  bad  river;  soft  rocks,  smooth  water;  and  a 
series  of  rocks  harder  than  any  we  have  experienced  sets  in.  The  river 
enters  the  granite  !  * 

We  can  see  but  a  little  way  into  the  granite  gorge,  but  it  looks  threat 
ening. 

After  breakfast  we  enter  on  the  waves.  At  the  very  introduction,  it 
inspires  awe.  The  canon  is  narrower  than  we  have  ever  before  seen  it;  the 

water  is  swifter;  there  are  but  few  broken  rocks  in  the  channel;  but  the 

• 

walls  are  set,  on  either  side,  with  pinnacles  and  crags;  and  sharp,  angular 
buttresses,  bristling  with  wind  and  wave  polished  spires,  extend  far  out  into 
the  river. 

Ledges  of  rocks  jut  into  the  s'tream,  their  tops  sometimes  just  below 

*  Geologists  would  call  these  rocks  metamorphic  crystalline  schists,  with  dikes  and  beds  of  granite, 
but  we  will  use  the  popular  name  for  the  whole  series — granite. 

11  COL 


82      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

the  surface,  sometimes  rising  few  or  many  feet  above;  and  island  ledges,  and 
island  pinnacles,  and  island  towers  break  the  swift  course  of  the  stream  into 
chutes,  and  eddies,  and  whirlpools.  We  soon  reach  a  place  where  a  creek 
comes  in  from  the  left,  and  just  below,  the  channel  is  choked  with  boulders, 
which  have  washed  down  this  lateral  canon  and  formed  a  dam,  over  which 
there  is  a  fall  of  thirty  or  forty  feet;  but  on  the  boulders  we  can  get  foot 
hold,  and  we  make  a  portage. 

Three  more  such  dams  are  found.     Over  one  we  make  a  portage;  at 
the  other  two  we  find  chutes,  through  which  we  can  run. 

As  we  proceed,  the  granite  rises  higher,  until  nearly  a  thousand  feet  of 
the  lower  part  of  the  walls  are  composed  of  this  rock. 

About  eleven  o'clock  we  hear  a  great  roar  ahead,  and  approach  it  very 
cautiously.  The  sound  grows  louder  and  louder  as  we  run,  and  at  last  we 
find  ourselves  above  a  long,  broken  fall,  with  ledges  and  pinnacles  of  rock 
obstructing  the  river.  There  is  a  descent  of,  perhaps,  seventy  five  or  eighty 
feet  in  a  third  of  a  mile,  and  the  rushing  waters  break  into  great  waves  on 
the  rocks,  and  lash  themselves  into  a  mad,  white  foam.  We  can  land  just 
above,  but  there  is  no  foot-hold  on  either  side  by  which  we  can  make  a  port 
age.  It  is  nearly  a  thousand  feet  to  the  top  of  the  granite,  so  it  will  be 
impossible  to  cany  our  boats  around,  though  we  can  climb  to  the  summit  up 
a  side  gulch,  and,  passing  along  a  mile  or  two,  can  descend  to  the  river. 
This  we  find  on  examination ;  but  such  a  portage  would  be  impracticable  for 
us,  and  we  must  run  the  rapid,  or  abandon  the  river.  There  is  no  hesitation. 
We  step  into  our  boats,  push  off  and  away  we  go,  first  on  smooth  but  swift 
water,  then  we  strike  a  glassy  wave,  and  ride  to  its  top,  down  again  into  the 
trough,  up  again  on  a  higher  wave,  and  down  and  up  on  waves  higher  and 
still  higher,  until  we  strike  one  just  as  it  curls  back,  and  a  breaker  rolls 
over  our  little  boat.  Still,  on  we  speed,  shooting  .past  projecting  rocks,  till 
the  little  boat  is  caught  in  a  whirlpool,  and  spun  around  several  times.  At 
last  we  pull  out  again  into  the  stream,  and  now  the  other  boats  have  passed 
us.  The  open  compartment  of  the  "Emma  Dean"  is  filled  with  water,  and 
every  breaker  rolls  over  us.  Hurled  back  from  a  rock,  now  on  this  side, 
now  on  that,  we  are  carried  into  an  eddy,  in  which  we  struggle  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  are  then  out  again,  the  breakers  still  rolling  over  us.  Our  boat 


Figure  28. — Running  a  rapid. 


A  WILDERNESS  OF  BOOKS.  83 

is  unmanageable,  but  she  cannot  sink,  and  we  drift  down  another  hundred 
yards,  through  breakers;  how,  we  scarcely  know.  We  find  the  other  boats 
have  turned  into  an  eddy  at  the  foot  of  the  fall,  and  are  waiting  to  catch  us 
as  we  come,  for  the  men  have  seen  that  our  boat  is  swamped.  They  push 
out  as  we  come  near,  and  pull  us  in  against  the  wall.  We  bail  our  boat, 
and  on  we  go  again. 

The  walls,  now,  are  more  than  a  mile  in  height — a  vertical  distance 
difficult  to  appreciate.  Stand  on  the  south  steps  of  the  Treasury  building, 
in  Washington,  and  look  down  Pennsylvania  Avenue  to  the  Capitol  Park, 
and  measure  this  distance  overhead,  and  imagine  cliffs  to  extend  to  that  alti 
tude,  and  you  will  understand  what  I  mean;  or,  stand  at  Canal  street,  in 
New  York,  and  look  up  Broadway  to  Grace  Church,  and  you  have  about 
the  distance;  or,  stand  at  Lake  street  bridge,  in  Chicago,  and  look  down 
to  the  Central  Depot,  and  you  have  it  again. 

A  thousand  feet  of  this  is  up  through  granite  crags,  then  steep  slopes 
and  perpendicular  cliffs  rise,  one  above  another,  to  the  summit.  The  gorge 
is  black  and  narrow  below,  red  and  gray  and  flaring  above,  with  crags  and 
angular  projections  on  the  walls,  which,  cut  in  many  places  by  side  canons, 
seem  to  be  a  vast  wilderness  of  rocks.  Down  in  these  grand,  gloomy  depths 
we  glide,  ever  listening,  for  the  mad  waters  keep  up  their  roar;  ever  watch 
ing,  ever  peering  ahead,  for  the  narrow  canon  is  winding,  and  the  river  is 
closed  in  so  that  we  can  see  but  a  few  hundred  yards,  and  what  there  may 
be  below  we  know  not;  but  we  listen  for  falls,  and  watch  for  rocks,  or  stop 
now  and  then,  in  the  bay  of  a  recess,  to  admire  the  gigantic  scenery.  And 
ever,  as  we  go,  there  is  some  new  pinnacle  or  tower,  some  crag  or  peak, 
some  distant  view  of  the  upper  plateau,  some  strange  shaped  rock,  or  some 
deep,  narrow  side  canon.  Then  we  come  to  another  broken  fall,  which 
appears  more  difficult  than  the  one  we  ran  this  morning. 

A  small  creek  comes  in  on  the  right,  and  the  first  fall  of  the  water  is 
over  boulders,  which  have  been  carried  down  by  this  lateral  stream.  We 
land  at  its  mouth,  and  stop  for  an  hour  or  two  to  examine  the  fall.  It 
'  seems  possible  to  let  down  with  lines,  at  least  a  part  of  the  way,  from  point 
to  point,  along  the  right  hand  wall.  So  we  make  a  portage  over  the  first 
rocks,  and  find  footing  on  some  boulders  below.  Then  we  let  down  one  of 


84      EXPLOKATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

the  boats  to  the  end  of  her  line,  when  she  reaches  a  corner  of  the  project 
ing  rock,  to  which  one  of  the  men  clings,  and  steadies  her,  while  I  examine 
an  eddy  below.  I  think  we  can  pass  the  other  boats  down  by  us,  and 
catch  them  in  the  eddy.  This  is  soon  done  and  the  men  in  the  boats  in  the 
eddy  pull  us  to  their  side.  On  the  shore  of  this  little  eddy  there  is  about 
two  feet  of  gravel  beach  above  the  water.  Standing  on  this  beach,  some 
of  the  men  take  the  line  of  the  little  boat  and  let  it  drift  down  against 
another  projecting  angle.  Here  is  a  little  shelf,  on  which  a  man  from  my 
boat  climbs,  and  a  shorter  line  is  passed  to  him,  and  he  fastens  the  boat  to 
the  side  of  the  cliff.  Then  the  second  one  is  let  down,  bringing  the  line  of 
the  third.  When  the  second  boat  is  tied  up,  the  two  men  standing  on  the 
beach  above  spring  into  the  last  boat,  which  is  pulled  up  alongside  of  ours. 
Then  we  let  down  the  boats,  for  twenty  five  or  thirty  yards,  by  walking 
along  the  shelf,  landing  them  again  in  the  mouth  of  a  side  canon.  Just 
below  this  there  is  another  pile  of  boulders,  over  which  we  make  another 
portage.  From  the  foot  of  these  rocks  we  can  climb  to  another  shelf,  forty 
or  fifty  feet  above  the  water. 

On  this  bench  we  camp  for  the  night.  "We  find  a  few  sticks,  which 
have  lodged  in  the  rocks.  It  is  raining  hard,  and  we  have  no  shelter,  but 
kindle  a  fire  and  have  our  supper.  "We  sit  on  the  rocks  all  night,  wrapped 
in  our  ponchos,  getting  what  sleep  we  can. 

August  15. — This  morning  we  find  we  can  let  down  for  three  or  four 
hundred  yards,  and  it  is  managed  in  this  way:  We  pass  along  the  wall,  by 
climbing  from  projecting  point  to  point,  sometimes  near  the  water's  edge, 
at  other  places  fifty  or  sixty  feet  above,  and  hold  the  boat  with  a  line,  while 
two  men  remain  aboard,  and  prevent  her  from  being  dashed  against  the 
rocks,  and  keep  the  line  from  getting  caught  on  the  wall.  In  two  hours  we 
have  brought  them  all  down,  as  far  as  it  is  possible,  in  this  way.  A  few 
yards  below,  the  river  strikes  with  great  violence  against  a  projecting  rock, 
and  our  boats  are  pulled  up  in  a  little  bay  above.  We  must  now  manage 
to  pull  out  of  this,  and  clear  the  point  below.  The  little  boat  is  held  by 
the  bow  obliquely  up  the  stream.  We  jump  in,  and  pull  out  only  a  few 
strokes,  and  sweep  clear  of  the  dangerous  rock.  The  other  boats  follow  in 
the  same  manner,  and  the  rapid  is  passed. 


BREAKERS.  85 

It  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  labor  of  such  navigation.  We  must  pre 
vent  the  waves  from  dashing  the  boats  against  the  cliffs.  Sometimes,  where 
the  river  is  swift,  we  must  put  a  bight  of  rope  about  a  rock,  to  prevent  her 
being  snatched  from  us  by  a  wave ;  but  where  the  plunge  is  too  great,  or 
the  chute  too  swift,  we  must  let  her  leap,  and  catch  her  below,  or  the  under 
tow  will  drag  her  under  the  falling  water,  and  she  sinks.  Where  we  wish 
to  run  her  out  a  little  way  from  shore,  through  a  channel  between  rocks, 
we  first  throw  in  little  sticks  of  drift  wood,  and  watch  their  course,  to  see 
where  we  must  steer,  so  that  she  will  pass  the  channel  in  safety.  And  so  we 
hold,  and  let  go,  and  pull,  and  lift,  and  ward,  among  rocks,  around  rocks, 
and  over  rocks. 

And  now  we  go  on  through  this  solemn,  mysterious  way.  The  river 
is  very  deep,  the  canon  very  narrow,  and  still  obstructed,  so  that  there  is  no 
steady  flow  of  the  stream ;  but  the  waters  wheel,  and  roll,  and  boil,  and  we 
are  scarcely  able  to  determine  where  we  can  go.  Now,  the  boat  is  carried 
to  the  right,  perhaps  close  to  the  wall;  again,  she  is  shot  into  the  stream, 
and  perhaps  is  dragged  over  to  the  other  side,  where,  caught  in  a  whirlpool, 
she  spins  about.  We  can  neither  land  nor  run  as  we  please.  The  boats  are 
entirely  unmanageable ;  no  order  in  their  running  can  be  preserved ;  now 
one,  now  another,  is  ahead,  each  crew  laboring  for  its  own  preservation.  In 
such  a  place  we  come  to  another  rapid.  Two  of  the  boats  run  it  perforce. 
One  succeeds  in  landing,  but  there  is  no  foot-hold  by  which  to  make  a  port 
age,  and  she  is  pushed  out  again  into  the  stream.  The  next  minute  a  great 
reflex  wave  fills  the  open  compartment ;  she  is  water-logged,  and  drifts 
unmanageable.  Breaker  after  breaker  rolls  over  her,  and  one  capsizes  her. 
The  men  are  thrown  out ;  but  they  cling  to  the  boat,  and  she  drifts  down 
some  distance,  alongside  of  us,  and  we  are  able  to  catch  her.  She  is  soon 
bailed  out,  and  the  men  are  aboard  once  more ;  but  the  oars  are  lost,  so  a 
pair  from  the  "Emma  Dean"  is  spared.  Then  for  two  miles  we  find  smooth 
water. 

Clouds  are  playing  in  the  canon  to  day.  Sometimes  they  roll  down 
in  great  masses,  filling  the  gorge  with  gloom ;  sometimes  they  hang  above, 
from  wall  to  wall,  and  cover  the  canon  with  a  roof  of  impending  storm ; 
and  we  can  peer  long  distances  up  and  down  this  canon  corridor,  with  its 


86    EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

cloud  roof  overhead,  its  walls  of  black  granite,  and  its  river  bright  with 
the  sheen  of  broken  waters.  Then,  a  gust  of  wind  sweeps  down  a  side 
gulch,  and,  making  a  rift  in  the  clouds,  reveals  the  blue  heavens,  and  a 
stream  of  sunlight  pours  in.  Then,  the  clouds  drift  away  into  the  distance, 
and  hang  around  crags,  and  peaks,  and  pinnacles,  and  towers,  and  walls, 
and  cover  them  with  a  mantle,  that  lifts  from  time  to  time,  and  sets  them 
all  in  sharp  relief.  Then,  baby  clouds  creep  out  of  side  canons,  glide 
around  points,  and  creep  back  again,  into  more  distant  gorges.  Then, 
clouds,  set  in  strata,  across  the  canon,  with  intervening  vista  views,  to  cliffs 
and  rocks  beyond.  The  clouds  are  children  of  the  heavens,  and  when  they 
play  among  the  rocks,  they  lift  them  to  the  region  above. 

It  rains!  Rapidly  little  rills  are  formed  above,  and  these  soon  grow 
into  brooks,  and  the  brooks  grow  into  creeks,  and  tumble  over  the  walls  in 
innumerable  cascades,  adding  their  wild  music  to  the  roar  of  the  river. 
When  the  rain  ceases,  the  rills,  brooks,  and  creeks  run  dry.  The  waters 
that  fall,  during  a  rain,  on  these  steep  rocks,  are  gathered  at  once  into  the 
river ;  they  could  scarcely  be  poured  in  more  suddenly,  if  some  vast  spout 
ran  from  the  clouds  to  the  stream  itself.  When  a  storm  bursts  over  the 
canon,  a  side  gulch  is  dangerous,  for  a  sudden  flood  may  come,  and  the 
inpouring  waters  will  raise  the  river,  so  as  to  hide  the  rocks  before  your  eyes. 

Early  in  the  afternoon,  we  discover  a  stream,  entering  from  the  north, 
a  clear,  beautiful  creek,  coming  down  through  a  gorgeous  red  canon.  We 
land,  and  camp  on  a  sand  beach,  above  its  mouth,  under  a  great,  overspread 
ing  tree,  with  willow  shaped  leaves. 

August  16. — We  must  dry  our  rations  again  to  day,  and  make  oars. 

The  Colorado  is  never  a  clear  stream,  but  for  the  past  three  or  four  days 
it  has  been  raining  much  of  the  time,  and  the  floods,  which  are  poured  over 
the  walls,  have  brought  down  great  quantities  of  mud,  making  it  exceedingly 
turbid  now.  The  little  affluent,  which  we  have  discovered  here,  is  a  clear, 
beautiful  creek,  or  river,  as  it  would  be  termed  in  this  western  country, 
where  streams  are  not  abundant.  We  have  named  one  stream,  away  above, 
in  honor  of  the  great  chief  of  the  "Bad  Angels,"  and,  as  this  is  in  beautiful 
contrast  to  that,  we  conclude  to  name  it  lt Bright  Angel.'' 

Early  in  the  morning,  the  whole  party  starts  up  to  explore  the  Bright 


Figure  29.— Granite  Walls. 


BRIGHT  ANGEL  KIVEE,  87 

Angel  River,  with  the  special  purpose  of  seeking  timber,  from  which  to  make 
oars.  A  couple  of  miles  above,  we  find  a  large  pine  log,  which  has  been 
floated  down  from  the  plateau,  probably  from  an  altitude  of  more  than  six 
thousand  feet,  but  not  many  miles  back.  On  its  way,  it  must  have  passed 
over  many  cataracts  and  falls,  for  it  bears  scars  in  evidence  of  the  rough 
usage  which  it  has  received.  The"  men  roll  it  on  skids,  and  the  work  of 
sawing  oars  is  commenced. 

This  stream  heads  away  back,  under  a  line  of  abrupt  cliffs,  that  termi 
nates  the  plateau,  and  tumbles  down  more  than  four  thousand  feet  in  the  first 
mile  or  two  of  its  course ;  then  runs  through  a  deep,  narrow  canon,  until  it 
reaches  the  river. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  I  return,  and  go  up  a  little  gulch,  just  above  this 
creek,  about  two  hundred  yards  from  camp,  and  discover  the  ruins  of  two 
or  three  old  houses,  which  were  originally  of  stone,  laid  in  mortar.  Only 
the  foundations  are  left,  but  irregular  blocks,  of  which  the  houses  were  con 
structed,  lie  scattered  about.  In  one  room  I  find  an  old  mealing  stone, 
deeply  worn,  as  if  it  had  been  much  used.  A  great  deal  of  pottery  is  strewn 
around,  and  old  trails,  which  in  some  places  are  deeply  worn  into  the  rocks, 
are  seen. 

It  is  ever  a  source  of  wonder  to  us  why  these  ancient  people  sought 
such  inaccessible  places  for  their  homes.  They  were,  doubtless,  an  agricul 
tural  race,  but  there  are  no  lands  here,  of  any  considerable  extent,  that  they 
could  have  cultivated.  To  the  west  of  Oraiby,  one  of  the  towns  in  the 
"Province  of  Tusayan,"  in  Northern  Arizona,  the  inhabitants  have  actually 
built  little  terraces  along  the  face  of  the  cliff,  where  a  spring  gushes  out, 
and  thus  made  their  sites  for  gardens.  It  is  possible  that  the  ancient  inhab 
itants  of  this  place  made  their  agricultural  lands  in  the  same  way.  But  why 
should  they  seek  such  spots  ?  Surely,  the  country  was  not  so  crowded  with 
population  as  to  demand  the  utilization  of  so  barren  a  region.  The  only 
solution  of  the  problem  suggested  is  this:  We  know  that,  for  a  century  or  two 
after  the  settlement  of  Mexico,  many  expeditions  were  sent  into  the  country, 
now  comprised  in  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the 
town  building  people  under  the  dominion  of  the  Spanish  government.  Many 
of  their  villages  were  destroyed,  and  the  inhabitants  fled  to  regions  at  that 


88      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

time  unknown;  and  there  are  traditions,  among  the  people  who  inhabit 
the  pueblos  that  still  remain,  that  the  canons  were  these  unknown  lands. 
Maybe  these  buildings  were  erected  at  that  time;  sure  it  is  that  they  have 
a  much  more  modern  appearance  than  the  ruins  scattered  over  Nevada,  Utah, 
Colorado,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico.  Those  old  Spanish  conquerors  had  a 
monstrous  greed  for  gold,  and  a  wonderful  lust  for  saving  souls.  Treasures 
they  must  have;  if  not  on  earth,  why,  then,  in  heaven;  and  when  they  failed 
to  find  heathen  temples,  bedecked  with  silver,  they  propitiated  Heaven  by 
seizing  the  heathen  themselves.  There  is  yet  extant  a  copy  of  a  record, 
made  by  a  heathen  artist,  to  express  his  conception  of  the  demands  of  the 
conquerors.  In  one  part  of  the  picture  we  have  a  lake,  and  near  by  stands  a 
priest  pouring  water  on  the  head  of  a  native.  On  the  other  side,  a  poor  Indian 
has  a  cord  about  his  throat.  Lines  run  from  these  two  groups,  to  a  central 
figure,  a  man  with  beard,  and  full  Spanish  panoply.  The  interpretation  of 
the  picture  writing  is  this:  "Be  baptized,  as  this  saved  heathen;  or  be  hanged, 
as  that  damned  heathen."  Doubtless,  some  of  these  people  preferred  a  third 
alternative,  and,  rather  than  be  baptized  or  hanged,  they  chose  to  be  impris 
oned  within  these  canon  walls. 

August  17. — Our  rations  are  still  spoiling;  the  bacon  is  so  badly  injured 
that  we  are  compelled  to  throw  it  away.  By  an  accident,  this  morning,  the 
saleratus  is  lost  overboard.  We  have  now  only  musty  flour  sufficient  for 
ten  days,  a  few  dried  apples,  but  plenty  of  coffee.  We  must  make  all  haste 
possible.  If  we  meet  with  difficulties,  as  we  have  done  in  the  canon  above, 
we  may  be  compelled  to  give  up  the  expedition,  and  try  to  reach  the  Mormon 
settlements  to  the  north.  Our  hopes  are  that  the  worst  places  are  passed, 
but  our  barometers  are  all  so  much  injured  as  to  be  useless,  so  we  have  lost 
our  reckoning  in  altitude,  and  know  not  how  much  descent  the  river  has  yet 
to  make. 

The  stream  is  still  wild  and  rapid,  and  rolls  through  a  narrow  channel. 
We  make  but  slow  progress,  often  landing  against  a  wall,  and  climbing 
around  some  point,  where  we  can  see  the  river  below.  Although  very  anx 
ious  to  advance,  we  are  determined  to  run  with  great  caution,  lest,  by  another 
accident,  we  lose  all  our  supplies.  How  precious  that  little  flour  has  become ! 


NINE  DAYS'  KATIONS.  89 

We  divide  it  among  the  boats,  and  carefully  store  it  away,  so  that  it  can  be 
lost  only  by  the  loss  of  the  boat  itself. 

We  make-  ten  miles  and  a  half,  and  camp  among  the  rocks,  on  the  right. 
We  have  had  rain,  from  time  to  time,  all  day,  and  have  been  thoroughly 
drenched  and  chilled;  but  between  showers  the  sun  shines  with  great 
power,  and  the  mercury  in  our  thermometers  stands  at  115°,  so  that  we  have 
rapid  changes  from  great  extremes,  which  are  very  disagreeable.  It  is 
especially  cold  in  the  rain  to-night.  The  little  canvas  we  have  is  rotten  and 
useless ;  the  rubber  ponchos,  with  which  we  started  from  Green  River  City, 
have  all  been  lost ;  more  than  half  the  party  is  without  hats,  and  not  one  of 
us  has  an  entire  suit  of  clothes,  and  we  have  not  a  blanket  apiece.  So  we 
gather  drift  wood,  and  build  a  fire ;  but  after  supper  the  rain,  coming  down 
in  torrents,  extinguishes  it,  and  we  sit  up  all  night,  on  the  rocks,  shivering, 
and  are  more  exhausted  by  the  night's  discomfort  than  by  the  day's  toil. 

August  18. — The  day  is  employed  in  making  portages,  and  we  advance 
but  two  miles  on  our  journey.  Still  it  rains. 

While  the  men  are  at  work  making  portages,  I  climb  up  the  granite  to 
its  summit,  and  go  away  back  over  the  rust  colored  sandstones  and  greenish 
yellow  shales,  to  the  foot  of  the  marble  wall.  I  climb  so  high  that  the  men 
and  boats  are  lost  in  the  black  depths  below,  and  the  dashing  river  is  a  rip 
pling  brook ;  and  still  there  is  more  canon  above  than  below.  All  about  me 
are  interesting  geological  records.  The  book  is  open,  and  I  can  read  as  I 
run.  All  about  me  are  grand  views,  for  the  clouds  are  playing  again  in  the 
gorges.  But  somehow  I  think  of  the  nine  days'  rations,  and  the  bad  river, 
and  the  lesson  of  the  rocks,  and  the  glory  of  the  scene  is  but  half  seen. 

I  push  on  to  an  angle,  where  I  hope  to  get  a  view  of  the  country 
beyond,  to  see,  if  possible,  what  the  prospect  may  be  of  our  soon  running 
through  this  plateau,  or,  at  least,  of  meeting  with  some  geological  change 
that  will  let  us  out  of  the  granite ;  but,  arriving  at  the  point,  I  can  see  below 
only  a  labyrinth  of  deep  gorges. 

August  19. — Rain  again  this  morning.  Still  we  are  in  our  gran 
ite  prison,  and  the  time  is  occupied  until  noon  in  making  a  long,  bad 
portage. 

After  dinner,  in  running  a  rapid,  the  pioneer  boat  is  upset  by  a  wave 
12  COL 


90      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

We  are  some  distance  in  advance  of  the  larger  boats,  the  river  is  rough  and 
swift,  and  we  are  unable  to  land,  but  cling  to  the  boat,  and  are  carried  down 
stream,  over  another  rapid.  The  men  in  the  boats  above  see  our  trouble, 
but  they  are  caught  in  whirlpools,  and  are  spinning  about  in  eddies,  and  it 
seems  a  long  time  before  they  come  to  our  relief.  At  last  they  do  come ; 
our  boat  is  turned  right  side  up,  bailed  out ;  the  oars,  which  fortunately  have 
floated  along  in  company  with  us,  are  gathered  up,  and  on  we  go,  without 
even  landing. 

Soon  after  the  accident  the  clouds  break  away,  and  we  have  sunshine 
again. 

Soon  we  find  a  little  beach,  with  just  room  enough  to  land.  Here  we 
camp,  but  there  is  no  wood.  Across  the  river,  and  a  little  way  above,  we 
see  some  drift  wood  lodged  in  the  rocks.  So  we  bring  two  boat  loads  over, 
build  a  huge  fire,  and  spread  everything  to  dry.  It  is  the  first  cheerful 
night  we  have  had  for  a  week ;  a  warm,  drying  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  camp, 
and  a  few  bright  stars  in  our  patch  of  heavens  overhead. 

August  20. — The  characteristics  of  the  canon  change  this  morning. 
The  river  is  broader,  the  walls  more  sloping,  and  composed  of  black  slates, 
that  stand  on  edge.  These  nearly  vertical  slates  are  washed  out  in  places — 
that  is,  the  softer  beds  are  washed  out  between  the  harder,  which  are  left 
standing.  In  this  way,  curious  little  alcoves  are  formed,  in  which  are  quiet 
bays  of  water,  but  on  a  much  smaller  scale  than  the  great  bays  and  but 
tresses  of  Marble  Canon. 

The  river  is  still  rapid,  and  we  stop  to  let  down  with  lines  several 
times,  but  make  greater  progress  as  we  run  ten  miles.  We  camp  on  the 
right  bank.  Here,  on  a  terrace  of  trap,  we  discover  another  group  of  ruins 
There  was  evidently  quite  a  village  on  this  rock.  Again  we  find  mealing 
stones,  and  much  broken  pottery,  and  up  in  a  little  natural  shelf  in  the  rock, 
back  of  the  ruins,  we  find  a  globular  basket,  that  would  hold  perhaps  a 
third  of  a  bushel.  It  is  badly  broken,  and,  as  I  attempt  to  take  it  up,  it 
falls  to  pieces.  There  are  many  beautiful  flint  chips,  as  if  this  had  been  the 
home  of  an  old  arrow  maker. 

August  21. — We  start  early  this  morning,  cheered  by  the  prospect  of  a 
fine  day,  and  encouraged,  also,  by  the  good  run  made  yesterday.  A  quarter 


Figure.  30. — Mu'-av  Canon,  a  side  gorge. 


RUNNING  OUT  OF  THE  GRANITE.  91 

of  a  mile  below  camp  the  river  turns  abruptly  to  the  left,  and  between  camp 
and  that  point  is  very  swift,  running  down  in  a  long,  broken  chute,  and 
piling  up  against  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  where  it  turns  to  the  left.  We  try  to 
pull  across,  so  as  to  go  down  on  the  other  side,  but  the  waters  are  swift,  and 
it  seems  impossible  for  us  to  escape  the  rock  below ;  but,  in  pulling  across, 
the  bow  of  the  boat  is  turned  to  the  farther  shore,  so  that  we  are  swept 
broadside  down,  and  are  prevented,  by  the  rebounding  waters,  from  strik 
ing  against  the  wall.  There  we  toss  about  for  a  few  seconds  in  these  bil 
lows,  and  are  earned  past  the  danger.  Below,  the  river  turns  again  to  the 
right,  the  canon  is  very  narrow,  and  we  see  in  advance  but  a  short  distance. 
The  water,  too,  is  very  swift,  and  there  is  no  landing  place.  From  around 
this  curve  there  comes  a  mad  roar,  and  down  we  are  carried,  with  a  dizzying 
velocity,  to  the  head  of  another  rapid.  On  either  side,  high  over  our  heads, 
there  are  overhanging  granite  walls,  and  the  sharp  bends  cut  off  our  view, 
so  that  a  few  minutes  will  carry  us  into  unknown  waters.  Away  we  go,  on 
one  long,  winding  chute.  I  stand  on  deck,  supporting  myself  with  a  strap, 
fastened  on  either  side  to  the  gunwale,  and  the  boat  glides  rapidly,  where 
the  water  is  smooth,  or,  striking  a  wave,  she  leaps  and  bounds  like  a  thing 
of  life,  and  we  have  a  wild,  exhilarating  ride  for  ten  miles,  which  we  make 
in  less  than  an  hour.  The  excitement  is  so  great  that  we  forget  the  danger/ 
until  we  hear  the  roar  of  a  great  fall  below ;  then  we  back  on  our  oars,  and 
are  carried  slowly  toward  its  head,  and  succeed  in  landing  just  above,  and 
find  that  we  have  to  make  another  portage.  At  this  we  are  engaged  until 
some  time  after  dinner. 

Just  here  we  run  out  of  the  granite! 

Ten  miles  in  less  than  half  a  day,  and  limestone  walls  below.  Good 
cheer  returns;  we  forget  the  storms,  and  the  gloom,  and  cloud  covered  can 
ons,  and  the  black  granite,  and  the  raging  river,  and  push  our  boats  from 
shore  in  great  glee. 

Though  we  are  out  of  the  granite,  the  river  is  still  swift,  and  we  wheel 
about  a  point  again  to  the  right,  and  turn,  so  as  to  head  back  in  the  direc 
tion  from  which  we  come,  and  see  the  granite  again,  with  its  narrow  gorge 
and  black  crags ;  but  we  meet  with  no  more  great  falls,  or  rapids.  Still,  we 
run  cautiously,  and  stop,  from  time  to  time,  to  examine  some  places  which 


92      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

look  bad.  Yet,  we  make  ten  miles  this  afternoon;  twenty  miles,  in  all,  to 
day. 

August  22. — We  come  to  rapids  again,  this  morning,  and  are  occupied 
several  hours  in  passing  them,  letting  the  boats  down,  from  rock  to  rock, 
with  lines,  for  nearly  half  a  mile,  and  then  have  to  make  a  long  portage. 
While  the  men  are  engaged  in  this,  I  climb  the  wall  on  the  northeast,  to  a 
height  of  about  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet,  where  I  can  obtain  a  good 
view  of  a  long  stretch  of  cation  below.  Its  course  is  to  the  southwest.  The 
walls  seem  to  rise  very  abruptly,  for  two  thousand  five  hundred  or  three 
thousand  feet,  and  then  there  is  a  gently  sloping  terrace,  on  each  side,  for 
two  or  three  miles,  and  again  we  find  cliffs,  one  thousand  five  hundred  or 
two  thousand  feet  high.  From  the  brink  of  these  the  plateau  stretches  back 
to  the  north  and  south,  for  a  long  distance.  Away  down  the  canon,  on  the 
right  wall,  I  can  see  a  group  of  mountains,  some  of  which  appear  to  stand 
on  the  brink  of  the  canon.  The  effect  of  the  terrace  is  to  give  the  appear 
ance  of  a  narrow  winding  valley,  with  high  walls  on  either  side,  and  a  deep, 
dark,  meandering  gorge  down  its  middle.  It  is  impossible,  from  this  point 
of  view,  to  determine  whether  we  have  granite  at  the  bottom,  or  not;  but, 
from  geological  considerations,  I  conclude  that  we  shall  have  marble  walls 
below. 

After  my  return  to  the  boats,  we  run  another  mile,  and  camp  for  the 
night. 

We  have  made  but  little  over  seven  miles  to  day,  and  a  part  of  our  flour 
has  been  soaked  in  the  river  again. 

August  23. — Our  way  to  day  is  again  through  marble  walls.  Now  and 
then  we  pass,  for  a  short  distance,  through  patches  of  granite,  like  hills 
thrust  up  into  the  limestone.  At  one  of  these  places  we  have  to  make 
another  portage,  and,  taking  advantage  of  the  delay,  I  go  up  a  little  stream, 
to  the  north,  wading  it  all  the  way,  sometimes  having  to  plunge  in  to  my 
neck;  in  other  places  being  compelled  to  swim  across  little  basins  that  have 
been  excavated  at  the  foot  of  the  falls.  Along  its  course  are  many  cascades 
and  springs  gushing  out  from  the  rocks  on  either  side.  Sometimes  a  cotton- 
wood  tree  grows  over  the  water.  I  come  to  one  beautiful  fall,  of  more  than 
a  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  climb  around  it  to  the  right,  on  the  broken 


Figure  31. — Standing  Rocks  on  the  brink  of  Mu'-av  Canon. 


TWENTY-TWO  MILES.  93 

rocks.  Still  going  up,  I  find  the  canon  narrowing  very  much,  being  but 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  wide ;  yet  the  walls  rise  on  either  side  many  hundreds 
of  feet,  perhaps  thousands;  I  can  hardly  tell. 

In  some  places  the  stream  has  not  excavated  its  channel  down  verti 
cally  through  the  rocks,  but  has  cut  obliquely,  so  that  one  wall  overhangs 
the  other.  In  other  places  it  is  cut  vertically  above  and  obliquely  below, 
or  obliquely  above  and  vertically  below,  so  that  it  is  impossible  to  see  out 
overhead.  But  I  can  go  no  farther.  The  time  which  I  estimated  it  would 
take  to  make  the  portage  has  almost  expired,  and  I  start  back  on  a  round  trot, 
wading  in.  the  creek  where  I  must,  and  plunging  through  basins,  and  find 
the  men  waiting  for  me,  and  away  we  go  on  the  river. 

Just  after  dinner  we  pass  a  stream  on  the  right,  which  leaps  into  the 
Colorado  by  a  direct  fall  of  more  than  a  hundred  feet,  forming  a  beautiful 
cascade.  There  is  a  bed  of  very  hard  rock  above,  thirty  or  forty  feet  in 
thickness,,  and  much  softer  beds  below.  The  hard  beds  above  project  many 
yards  beyond  the  softer,  which  are  washed  out,  forming  a  deep  cave  behind 
the  fall,  and  the  stream  pours  through  a  narrow  crevice  above  into  a  deep 
pool  below.  Around  on  the  rocks,  in  the  cave  like  chamber,  are  set  beau 
tiful  ferns,  with  delicate  fronds  and  enameled  stalks.  The  little  frondlets 
have  their  points  turned  down,  to  form  spore  cases.  It  has  very  much  the 
appearance  of  the  Maiden's  Hair  fern,  but  is  much  larger.  This  delicate  foliage 
covers  the  rocks  ah1  about  the  fountain,  and  gives  the  chamber  great  beauty. 
But  we  have  little  time  to  spend  in  admiration,  so  on  we  go. 

We  make  fine  progress  this  afternoon,  carried  along  by  a  swift  river, 
and  shoot  over  the  rapids,  finding  no  serious  obstructions. 

The  canon  walls,  for  two  thousand  five  hundred  or  three  thousand  feet, 
are  very  regular,  rising  almost  perpendicularly,  but  here  and  there  set  with 
narrow  steps,  and  occasionally  we  can  see  away  above  the  broad  terrace, 
to  distant  cliffs. 

We  camp  to  night  in  a  marble  cave,  and  find,  on  looking  at  our  reck 
oning,  we  have  run  twenty  two  miles. 

August  24. — The  canon  is  wider  to  day.  The  walls  rise  to  a  vertical 
height  of  nearly  three  thousand  feet.  In  many  places  the  river  runs  under 
a  cliff,  in  great  curves,  forming  amphitheatres,  half  dome  shaped. 


94  -EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

Though  the  river  is  rapid,  we  meet  with  no  serious  obstructions,  and 
run  twenty  miles.  It  is  curious  how  anxious  we  are  to  make  up  our  reck 
oning  every  time  we  stop,  now  that  our  diet  is  confined  to  plenty  of  coffee, 
very  little  spoiled  flour,  and  very  few  dried  apples.  It  has  come  to  be  a  race 
for  a  dinner.  Still,  we  make  such  fine  progress,  all  hands  are  in  good  cheer, 
but  not  a  moment  of  daylight  is  lost. 

August  25. — We  make  twelve  miles  this  morning,  when  we  come  to 
monuments  of  lava,  standing  in  the  river;  low  rocks,  mostly,  but  some  of 
them  shafts  more  than  a  hundred  feet  high.  Going  on  down,  three  or 
four  miles,  we  find  them  increasing  in  number.  Great  quantities  of  cooled 
lava  and  many  cinder  cones  are  seen  on  either  side;  and  then  we  come  to 
an  abrupt  cataract.  Just  over  the  fall,  on  the  right  wall,  a  cinder  cone,  or 
extinct  volcano,  with  a  well  defined  crater,  stands  on  the  very  brink  of  the 
canon.  This,  doubtless,  is  the  one  we  saw  two  or  three  days  ago.  From 
this  volcano  vast  floods  of  lava  have  been  poured  down  into  the  river,  and 
a  stream  of  the  molten  rock  has  run  up  the  canon,  three  or  four  miles,  and 
down,  we  know  not  how  far.  Just  where  it  poured  over  the  canon  wall  is 
the  fall.  The  whole  north  side,  as  far  as  we  can  see,  is  lined  with  the  black 
basalt,  and  high  up  on  the  opposite  wall  are  patches  of  the  same  material, 
resting  on  the  benches,  and  filling  old  alcoves  and  caves,  giving  to  the  wall 
a  spotted  appearance. 

The  rocks  are  broken  in  two,  along  a  line  which  here  crosses  the  river, 
and  the  beds,  which  we  have  seen  coming  down  the  canon  for  the  last  thirty 
miles,  have  dropped  800  feet,  on  the  lower  side  of  the  line,  forming  what 
geologists  call  a  fault.  The  volcanic  cone  stands  directly  over  the  fissure 
thus  formed.  On  the  side  of  the  river  opposite,  mammoth  springs  burst  out 
of  this  crevice,  one  or  two  hundred  feet  above  the  river,  pouring  in  a  stream 
quite  equal  in  volume  to  the  Colorado  Chiquito. 

This  stream  seems  to  be  loaded  with  carbonate  of  lime,  and  the  water, 
evaporating,  leaves  an  incrustation  on  the  rocks ;  and  this  process  has  been 
continued  for  a  long  time,  for  extensive  deposits  are  noticed,  in  which  are 
basins,  with  bubbling  springs.  The  water  is  salty. 

We  have  to  make  a  portage  here,  which  is  completed  in  about  three 
hours,  and  on  we  go. 


Figure  32.— The  Grand  Canon,  looking  east  from  To-ro'-weap. 


Figure   33. — The  Grand  Canon,  looking  west  from  To-ro'-weap. 


LAVA.  95 

We  have  no  difficulty  as  we  float  along,  and  I  am  able  to  observe  the 
wonderful  phenomena  connected  with  this  flood  of  lava.  The  canon  was 
doubtless  filled '  to  a  height  of  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  feet,  perhaps  by- 
more  than  one  flood.  This  would  dam  the  water  back;  and  in  cutting 
through  this  great  lava  bed,  a  new  channel  has  been  formed,  sometimes  on 
one  side,  sometimes  on  the  other.  The  cooled  lava,  being  of  firmer  texture 
than  the  rocks  of  which  the  walls  are  composed,  remains  in  some  places;  in 
others  a  narrow  channel  has  been  cut,  leaving  a  line  of  basalt  on  either  side. 
It  is  possible  that  the  lava  cooled  faster  on  the  sides  against  the  walls,  and 
that  the  centre  ran  out ;  but  of  this  we  can  only  conjecture.  There  are 
other  places,  where  almost  the  whole  of  the  lava  is  gone,  patches  of  it  only 
being  seen  where  it  has  caught  on  the  walls.  As  we  float  down,  we  can  see 
that  it  ran  out  into  side  canons.  In  some  places  this  basalt  has  a  fine,  col 
umnar  structure,  often  in  concentric  pi  isms,  and  masses  of  these  concentric 
columns  have  coalesced.  In  some  places,  when  the  flow  occurred,  the  canon 
was  probably  at  about  the  same  depth  as  it  is  now,  for  we  can  see  where  the 
basalt  has  rolled  out  on  the  sands,  and,  what  seems  curious  to  me,  the  sands 
are  not  melted  or  metamorphosed  to  any  appreciable  extent  In  places  the 
bed  of  the  river  is  of  sandstone  or  limestone,  in  other  places  of  lava,  show 
ing  that  it  has  all  been  cut  out  again  where  the  sandstones  and  limestones 
appear;  but  there  is  a  little  yet  left  where  the  bed  is  of  lava. 

What  a  conflict  of  water  and  fire  there  must  have  been  here!  Just 
imagine  a  river  of  molten  rock,  running  down  into  a -river  of  melted  snow. 
What  a  seething  and  boiling  of  the  waters;  what  clouds  of  steam  rolled 
into  the  heavens! 

Thirty  five  miles  to  day.     Hurrah! 

August  26. — The  canon  walls  are  steadily  becoming  higher  as  we 
advance.  They  are  still  bold,  and  nearly  vertical  up  to  the  terrace.  We 
still  see  evidence  of  the  eruption  discovered  yesterday,  but  the  thickness  of 
the  basalt  is  decreasing,  as  we  go  down  the  stream;  yet  it  has  been  rein 
forced  at  points  by  streams  that  have  come  down  from  volcanoes  standing 
on  the  terrace  above,  but  which  we  cannot  see  from  the  river  below. 

Since  we  left  the  Colorado  Chiquito,  we  have  seen  no  evidences  that 
the  tribe  of  Indians  inhabiting  the  plateaus  on  either  side  ever  come  down 


96     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

to  the  river ;  but  about  eleven  o'clock  to  day  we  discover  an  Indian  garden, 
at  the  foot  of  the  wall  on  the  right,  just  where  a  little  stream,  with  a  narrow 
flood  plain,  comes  down  through  a  side  canon.  Along  the  valley,  the  Indians 
have  planted  corn,  using  the  water  which  burst  out  in  springs  at  the  foot 
of  the  cliff,  for  irrigation.  The  corn  is  looking  quite  well,  but  is  not  suffi 
ciently  advanced  to  give  us  roasting  ears ;  but  there  are  some  nice,  green 
squashes.  We  carry  ten  or  a  dozen  of  these  on  board  our  boats,  and 
hurriedly  leave,  not  willing  to  be  be  caught  in  the  robbery,  yet  excusing 
ourselves  by  pleading  our  great  want.  We  run  down  a  short  distance,  to 
where  we  feel  certain  no  Indians  can  follow;  and  what  a  kettle  of  squash 
sauce  we  make!  True,  we  have  no  salt  with  which  to  season  it,  but  it 
makes  a  fine  addition  to  our  unleavened  bread  and  coffee.  Never  was  fruit 
so  sweet  as  these  stolen  squashes. 

After  dinner  we  push  on  again,  making  fine  time,  finding  many  rapids, 
but  none  so  bad  that  we  cannot  run  them  with  safety,  and  when  we  stop, 
just  at  dusk,  and  foot  up  our  reckoning,  we  find  we  have  run  thirty  five 
miles  again. 

What  a  supper  we  make ;  unleavened  bread,  green  squash  sauce,  and 
strong  coffee.  We  have  been  for  a  few  days  on  half  rations,  but  we  have 
no  stint  of  roast  squash. 

A  few  days  like  this,  and  we  are  out  of  prison. 

August  27. — This  morning  the  river  takes  a  more  southerly  direction. 
The  dip  of  the  rocks  is  to  the  north,  and  we  are  rapidly  running  into  lower 
formations.  Unless  our  course  changes,  we  shall  very  soon  run  again  into 
the  granite.  This  gives  us  some  anxiety.  Now  and  then  the  river  turns  to 
the  west,  and  excites  hopes  that  are  soon  destroyed  by  another  turn  to  the 
south.  About  nine  o'clock  we  come  to  the  dreaded  rock.  It  is  with  no  little 
misgiving  that  we  see  the  river  enter  these  black,  hard  walls.  At  its  very 
entrance  we  have  to  make  a  portage ;  then  we  have  to  let  down  with  lines 
past  some  ugly  rocks.  Then  we  run  a  mile  or  two  farther,  and  then  the 
rapids  below  can  be  seen. 

About  eleven  o'clock  we  come  to  a  place  in  the  river  where  it  seems 
much  worse  than  any  we  have  yet  met  in  all  its  course.  A  little  creek 
comes  down  from  the  left.  We  land  first  on  the  right,  and  clamber  up  over 


EAPIDS  AND  FALLS.  97 

the  granite  pinnacles  for  a  mile  or  two,  but  can  see  no  way  by  which  we 
can  let  down,  and  to  run  it  would  be  sure  destruction.  After  dinner  we 
cross  to  examine  it  on  the  left.  High  above  the  river  we  can  walk  along  on 
the  top  of  the  granite,  which  is  broken  off  at  the  edge,  and  set  with  crags 
and  pinnacles,  so  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  a  view  of  the  river  at  all. 
In  my  eagerness  to  reach  a  point  where  I  can  see  the  roaring  fall  below,  I 
go  too  far  on  the  wall,  and  can  neither  advance  nor  retreat.  I  stand  with 
one  foot  on  a  little  projecting  rock,  and  cling  with  my  hand  fixed  in  a  little 
crevice.  Finding  I  am  caught  here,  suspended  400  feet  above  the  river, 
into  which  I  should  fall  if  my  footing  fails,  I  call  for  help.  The  men  come, 
and  pass  me  a  line,  but  I  cannot  let  go  of  the  rock  long  enough  to  take  hold 
of  it.  Then  they  bring  two  or  three  of  the  largest  oars.  All  this  takes 
time  which  seems  very  precious  to  me;  but  at  last  they  arrive.  The  blade  of 
one  of  the  oars  is  pushed  into  a  little  crevice  in  the  rock  beyond  me.,  in  such 
a  manner  that  they  can  hold  me  pressed  against  the  wall.  Then  another  is 
fixed  in  such  a  way  that  I  can  step  on  it,  and  thus  I  am  extricated. 

Still  another  hour  is  spent  in  examining  the  river  from  this  side,  but  no 
good  view  of  it  is  obtained,  so  now  we  return  to  the  side  that  was  first  exam 
ined,  and  the  afternoon  is  spent  in  clambering  among  the  crags  and  pinna 
cles,  and  carefully  scanning  the  river  again.  We  find  that  the  lateral  streams 
have  washed  boulders  into  the  river,  so  as  to  form  a  dam,  over  which  the 
water  makes  a  broken  fall  of  eighteen  or  twenty  feet;  then  there  is  a  rapid, 
beset  with  rocks,  for  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  while,  on  the  other  side, 
points  of  the  wall  project  into  the  river.  Then  there  is  a  second  fall  below; 
how  great,  we  cannot  tell.  Then  there  is  a  rapid,  filled  with  huge  rocks,  for 
one  or  two  hundred  yards.  At  the  bottom  of  it,  from  the  right  wall,  a  great 
rock  projects  quite  half  way  across  the  river.  It  has  a  sloping  surface 
extending  up  stream,  and  the  water,  coming  down  with  all  the  momentum 
gained  in  the  falls  and  rapids  above,  rolls  up  this  inclined  plane  many  feet, 
and  tumbles  over  to  the  left.  I  decide  that  it  is  possible  to  let  down  over 
the  first  fall,  then  run  near  the  right  cliff  to  a  point  just  above  the  second, 
where  we  can  pull  out  into  a  little  chute,  and,  having  run  over  that  in  safety, 
we  must  pull  with  all  our  power  across  the  stream,  to  avoid  the  great  rock 
below.  On  my  return  to  the  boat,  I  announce  to  the  men  that  we  are  to 
13  COL 


98      EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

run  it  in  the  morning.     Then  we  cross  the  river,  and  go  into  camp  for  the 
night  on  some  rocks,  in  the  mouth  of  the  little  side  canon. 

After  supper  Captain  Howlaud  asks  to  have  a  talk  with  me.  We  walk 
up  the  little  creek  a  short  distance,  and  I  soon  find  that  his  object  is  to 
remonstrate  against  my  determination  to  proceed.  He  thinks  that  we  had 
better  abandon  the  river  here.  Talking  with  him,  I  learn  that  his  brother, 
William  Dunn,  and  himself  have  determined  to  go  no  farther  in  the  boats. 
So  we  return  to  camp.  Nothing  is  said  to  the  other  men. 

For  the  last  two  days,  our  course  has  not  been  plotted.  I  sit  down  and 
do  this  now,  for  the  purpose  of  finding  where  we  are  by  dead  reckoning. 
It  is  a  clear  night,  and  I  take  out  the  sextant  to  make  observation  for  lati 
tude,  and  find  that  the  astronomic  determination  agrees  very  nearly  with 
that  of  the  plot — quite  as  closely  as  might  be  expected,  from  a  meridian 
observation  on  a  planet.  In  a  direct  line,  we  must  be  about  forty  five  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Virgen.  If  we  can  reach  that  point,  we  know 
that  there  are  settlements  up  that  river  about  twenty  miles.  This  forty  five 
miles,  in  a  direct  line,  will  probably  be  eighty  or  ninety  in  the  meandering 
line  of  the  river.  But  then  we  know  that  there  is  comparatively  open 
country  for  many  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Virgen,  which  is  our  point 
of  destination. 

As  soon  as  I  determine  all  this,  I  spread  my  plot  on  the  sand,  and  wake 
Rowland,  who  is  sleeping  down  by  the  river,  and  show  him  where  I  sup 
pose  we  are,  and  where  several  Mormon  settlements  are  situated. 

We  have  another  short  talk  about  the  morrow,  and  he  lies  down  again; 
but  for  me  there  is  no  sleep.  All  night  long,  I  pace  up  and  down  a  little 
path,  on  a  few  yards  of  sand  beach,  along  by  the  river.  Is  it  wise  to  go  on? 
I  go  to  the  boats  again,  to  look  at  our  rations.  I  feel  satisfied  that  we  can 
get  over  the  danger  immediately  before  us;  what  there  may  be  below  I 
know  not.  From  our  outlook  yesterday,  on  the  cliffs,  the  canon  seemed  to 
make  another  great  bend  to  the  south,  and  this,  from  our  experience  hereto 
fore,  means  more  and  higher  granite  walls.  I  am  not  sure  that  we  can  climb 
out  of  the  canon  here,  and,  when  at  the  top  of  the  wall,  I  know  enough  of 
the  country  to  be  certain  that  it  is  a  desert  of  rock  and  sand,  between  this 
and  the  nearest  Mormon  town,  which,  on  the  most  direct  line,  must  be  sev- 


Figure  34. — Climbing    the  Grand  Canon. 


A  SOLEMN  BREAKFAST.  99 

enty  five  miles  away.  True,  the  late  rains  have  been  favorable  to  us,  should 
we  go  out,  for  the  probabilities  are  that  we  shall  find  water  still  standing  in 
holes,  and,  at  one  time,  I  almost  conclude  -to  leave  the  river.  But  for  years 
I  have  been  contemplating  this  trip.  To  leave  the  exploration  unfinished, 
to  say  that  there  is  a  part  of  the  canon  which  I  cannot  explore,  having 
already  almost  accomplished  it,  is  more  than  I  am  willing  to  acknowledge, 
and  I  determine  to  go  on. 

I  wake  my  brother,  and  tell  him  of  Rowland's  determination,  and 
he  promises  to  stay  with  me;  then  I  call  up  Hawkins,  the  cook,  and  he 
makes  a  like  promise ;  then  Sumner,  and  Bradley,  and  Hall,  and  they  all 
agree  to  go  on. 

August  28. — At  last  daylight  comes,  and  we  have  breakfast,  without  a 
word  being  said  about  the  future.  The  meal  is  as  solemn  as  a  funeral. 
After  breakfast,  I  ask  the  three  men  if  they  still  think  it  best  to  leave  us. 
The  elder  Howland  thinks  it  is,  and  Dunn  agrees  with  him.  The  younger 
Howland  tries  to  persuade  them  to  go  on  with  the  party,  failing  in  which, 
he  decides  to  go  with  his  brother. 

Then  we  cross  the  river.  The  small  boat  is  very  much  disabled,  and 
unseaworthy.  With  the  loss  of  hands,  consequent  on  the  departure  of  the 
three  men,  we  shall  not  be  able  to  run  all  of  the  boats,  so  I  decide  to  leave 
my  "Emma  Dean." 

Two  rifles  and  a  shot  gun  are  given  to  the  men  who  are  going  out.  I 
ask  them  to  help  themselves  to  the  rations,  and  take  what  they  think  to  be 
a  fair  share.  This  they  refuse  to  do,  saying  they  have  no  fear  but  that  they 
can  get  something  to  eat;  but  Billy,  the  cook,  has  a  pan  of  biscuits  prepared 
for  dinner,  and  these  he  leaves  on  a  rock. 

Before  starting,  we  take  our  barometers,  fossils,  the  minerals,  and  some 
ammunition  from  the  boat,  and  leave  them  on  the  rocks.  We  are  going  over 
this  place  as  light  as  possible.  The  three  men  help  us  lift  our  boats  over  a 
rock  twenty  five  or  thirty  feet  high,  and  let  them  down  again  over  the  first 
fall,  and  now  we  are  all  ready  to  start.  The  last  thing  before  leaving,  I 
write  a  letter  to  my  wife,  and  give  it  to  Howland.  Sumner  gives  him  his 
watch,  directing  that  it  be  sent  to  his  sister,  should  he  not  be  heard  from 
again.  The  records  of  the  expedition  have  been  kept  in  duplicate.  One 


100  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

set  of  these  is  given  to  Howland,  and  now  we  are  ready.  For  the  last  time, 
they  entreat  us  not  to  go  on,  and  tell  us  that  it  is  madness  to  set  out  in  this 
place;  that  we  can  never  get  safely  through  it;  and,  further,  that  the  river 
turns  again  to  the  south  into  the  granite,  and  a  few  miles  of  such  rapids  and 
falls  will  exhaust  our  entire  stock  of  rations,  and  then  it  will  be  too  late 
to  climb  out.  Some  tears  are  shed;  it  is  rather  a  solemn  parting;  each  party 
thinks  the  other  is  taking  the  dangerous  course. 

My  old  boat  left,  I  go  on  board  of  the  "Maid  of  the  Canon."  The 
three  men  climb  a  crag,  that  overhangs  the  river,  to  watch  us  off.  The 
"Maid  of  the  Canon"  pushes  out.  We  glide  rapidly  along  the  foot  of  the 
wall,  just  grazing  one  great  rock,  then  pull  out  a  little  into  the  chute  of  the 
second  fall,  and  plunge  over  it.  The  open  compartment  is  filled  when  we 
strike  the  first  wave  below,  but  we  cut  through  it,  and  then  the  men  pull 
with  all  their  power  toward  the  left  wall,  and  swing  clear  of  the  dangerous 
rock  below  all  right.  We  are  scarcely  a  minute  in  running  it,  and  find  that, 
although  it  looked  bad  from  above,  we  have  passed  many  places  that  were 
worse. 

The  other  boat  follows  without  more  difficulty.  We  land  at  the  first 
practicable  point  below  and  fire  our  guns,  as  a  signal  to  the  men  above  that 
we  have  come  over  in  safety.  Here  we  remain  a  couple  of  hours,  hoping 
that  they  will  take  the  smaller  boat  and  follow  us.  We  are  behind  a  curve 
in  the  canon,  and  cannot  see  up  to  where  we  left  them,  and  so  we  wait  until 
their  coming  seems  hopeless,  and  push  on. 

And  now  we  have  a  succession  of  rapids  and  falls  until  noon,  all  of 
which  we  run  in  safety.  Just  after  dinner  we  come  to  another  bad  place. 
A  little  stream  comes  in  from  the  left,  and  below  there  is  a  fall,  and  still 
below  another  fall.  Above,  the  river  tumbles  down,  over  and  among  the 
rocks,  in  whirlpools  and  great  waves,  and  the  waters  are  lashed  into  mad, 
white  foam.  We  run  along  the  left,  above  this,  and  soon  see  that  we  can 
not  get  down  on  this  side,  but  it  seems  possible  to  let  down  on  the  other. 
We  pull  up  stream  again,  for  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  and  cross.  Now 
there  is  a  bed  of  basalt  on  this  northern  side  of  the  canon,  with  a  bold 
escarpment,  that  seems  to  be  a  hundred  feet  high.  We  can  climb  it,  and 
walk  along  its  summit  to  a  point  where  we  are  just  at  the  head  of  the  fall. 


BRADLEY  GOES  OVER  THE  FALLS.  101 

Here  the  basalt  is  broken  down  again,  so  it  seems  to  us,  and  I  direct  the 
men  to  take  a  line  to  the  top  of  the  cliff,  and  let  the  boats  down  along  the 
wall.  One  -man  remains  in  the  boat,  to  keep  her  clear  of  the  rocks,  and 
prevent  her  line  from  being  caught  on  the  projecting  angles.  I  climb  the 
cliff,  and  pass  along  to  a  point  just  over  the  fall,  and  descend  by  broken 
rocks,  and  find  that  the  break  o£  the  fall  is  above  the  break  of  the  wall,  so 
that  we  cannot  land ;  and  that  still  below  the  river  is  very  bad,  and  that 
there  is  no  possibility  of  a  portage.  Without  waiting  further  to  examine 
and  determine  what  shall  be  done,  I  hasten  back  to  the  top  of  the  cliff,  to 
stop  the. boats  from  coming  down.  When  I  arrive,  I  find  the  men  have  let 
one  of  them  down  to  the  head  of  the  fall.  She  is  in  swift  water,  and  they 
are  not  able  to  pull  her  back ;  nor  are  they  able  to  go  on  with  the  line,  as 
it  is  not  long  enough  to  reach  the  higher  part  of  the  cliff,  which  is  just 
before  them;  so  they  take  a  bight  around  a  crag.  I  send  two  men  back 
for  the  other  line.  The  boat  is  in  very  swift  water,  and  Bradley  is  standing 
in  the  open  compartment,  holding  out  his  oar  to  prevent  her  from  striking 
against  the  foot  of  the  cliff.  Now  she  shoots  out  into  the  stream,  and  up  as 
far  as  the  line  will  permit,  and  then,  wheeling,  drives  headlong  against  the 
rock,  then  out  and  back  again,  now  straining  on  the  line,  now  striking 
against  the  rock.  As  soon  as  the  second  line  is  brought,  we  pass  it  down 
to  him ;  but  his  attention  is  all  taken  up  with  his  own  situation,  and  he  does 
not  see  that  we  are  passing  the  line  to  him.  I  stand  on  a  projecting  rock, 
waving  my  hat  to  gain  his  attention,  for  my  voice  is  drowned  by  the  roaring 
of  the  falls.  Just  at  this  moment,  I  see  him  take  his  knife  from  its  sheath, 
and  step  forward  to  cut  the  line.  He  has  evidently  decided  that  it  is  better 
to  go  over  with  the  boat  as  it  is,  than  to  wait  for  her  to  be  broken  to  pieces. 
As  he  leans  over,  the  boat  sheers  again  into  the  stream,  the  stem-post  breaks 
away,  and  she  is  loose.  With  perfect  composure  Bradley  seizes  the  great 
scull  oar,  places  it  in  the  stern  rowlock,  and  pulls  with  all  his  power  (and 
he  is  an  athlete)  to  turn  the  bow  of  the  boat  down  stream,  for  he  wishes  to 
go  bow  down,  rather  than  to  drift  broadside  on.  One,  two  strokes  he  makes, 
and  a  third  just  as  she  goes  over,  and  the  boat  is  fairly  turned,  and  she  goes 
down  almost  beyond  our  sight,  though  we  are  more  than  a  hundred  feet  above 
the  river.  Then  she  comes  up  again,  on  a  great  wave,  and  down  and  up,  then 


102  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

around  behind  some  great  rocks,  and  is  lost  in  the  mad,  white  foam  below. 
We  stand  frozen  with  fear,  for  we  see  no  boat.  Bradley  is  gone,  so  it  seems. 
But  now,  away  below,  we  see  something  coming  out  of  the  waves.  It  is 
evidently  a  boat.  A  moment  more,  and  we  see  Bradley  standing  on  deck, 
swinging  his  hat  to  show  that  he  is  all  right.  But  he  is  in  a  whirlpool.  We 
have  the  stem-post  of  his  boat  attached  to  the  line.  How  badly  she  may  be 
disabled  we  know  not.  I  direct  Sumner  and  Powell  to  pass  along  the  cliff, 
and  see  if  they  can  reach  him  from  below.  Rhodes,  Hall,  and  myself  run 
to  the  other  boat,  jump  aboard,  push  out,  and  away  we  go  over  the  falls. 
A  wave  rolls  over  us,  and  our  boat  is  unmanageable.  Another  great  wave 
strikes  us,  the  boat  rolls  over,  and  tumbles  and  tosses,  I  know  not  how.  All 
I  know  is  that  Bradley  is  picking  us  up.  We  soon  have  all  right  again,  and 
row  to  the  cliff,  and  wait  until  Sumner  and  Powell  can  come.  After  a  diffi 
cult  climb  they  reach  us.  We  run  two  or  three  miles  farther,  and  turn  again 
to  the  northwest,  continuing  until  night,  when  we  have  run  out  of  the 
granite  once  more. 

August  29. — We  start  very  early  this  morning.  The  river  still  con 
tinues  swift,  but  we  have  no  serious  difficulty,  and  at  twelve  o'clock  emerge 
from  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado. 

We  are  in  a  valley  now,  and  low  mountains  are  seen  in  the  distance, 
coming  to  the  river  below.  We  recognize  this  as  the  Grand  Wash. 

A  few  years  ago,  a  party  of  Mormons  set  out  from  St.  George,  Utah, 
taking  with  them  a  boat,  and  came  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  Wash, 
where  they  divided,  a  portion  of  the  party  crossing  the  river  to  explore  the 
San  Francisco  Mountains.  Three  men — Hamblin,  Miller,  and  Crosby — tak 
ing  the  boat,  went  on  down  the  river  to  Callville,  landing  a  few  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Virgen.  We  have  their  manuscript  journal  with  us, 
and  so  the  stream  is  comparatively  well  known. 

To  night  we  camp  on  the  left  bank,  in  a  mesquite  thicket. 

The  relief  from  danger,  and  the  joy  of  success,  are  great.  When  he 
who  has  been  chained  by  wounds  to  a  hospital  cot,  until  his  canvas  tent 
seems  like  a  dungeon  cell,  until  the  groans  of  those  who  lie  about,  tortured 
with  probe  and  knife,  are  piled  up,  a  weight  of  horror  on  his  ears  that  he 
cannot  throw  off,  cannot  forget,  and  until  the  stench  of  festering  wounds 


THE  GRAND  WASH.  10,3 

and  anaesthetic  drugs  has  filled  the  air  with  its  loathsome  burthen,  at  last 
goes  out  into  the  open  field,  what  a  world  he  sees!  How  beautiful  the  sky; 
how  bright  the  sunshine;  what  " floods  of  delirious  music"  pour  from  the 
throats  of  birds;  how  sweet  the  fragrance  of  earth,  and  tree,  and  blossom! 
The  first  hour  of  convalescent  freedom  seems  rich  recompense  for  all — 
pain,  gloom,  terror. 

Something  like  this  are  the  feelings  we  experience  to  night.  Ever 
before  us  has  been  an  unknown  danger,  heavier  than  immediate  peril. 
Every  waking  hour  passed  in  the  Grand  Canon  has  been  one  of  toil.  We 
have  watched  with  deep  solicitude  the  steady  disappearance  of  our  scant 
supply  of  rations,  and  from  time  to  time  have  seen  the  river  snatch  a  portion 
of  the  little  left,  while  we  were  ahungered.  And  danger  and  toil  were 
endured  in  those  gloomy  depths,  where  ofttimes  the  clouds  hid  the  sky  by 
day,  and  but  a  narrow  zone  of  stars  could  be  seen  at  night.  Only  during 
the  few  hours  of  deep  sleep,  consequent  on  hard  labor,  has  the  roar  of  the 
waters  been  hushed.  Now  the  danger  is  over;  now  the  toil  has  ceased;  now 
the  gloom  has  disappeared ;  now  the  firmament  is  bounded  only  by  the 
horizon ;  and  what  a  vast  expanse  of  constellations  can  be  seen ! 

The  river  rolls  by  us  in  silent  majesty;  the  quiet  of  the  camp  is  sweet; 
our  joy  is  almost  ecstacy.  We  sit  till  long  after  midnight,  talking  of  the 
Grand  Canon,  talking  of  home,  but  chiefly  talking  of  the  three  men  who 
left  us.  Are  they  wandering  in  those  depths,  unable  to  find  a  way  out  ? 
are  they  searching  over  the  desert  lands  above  for  water  I  or  are  they  near- 
ing  the  settlements? 

August  30. — We  run  through  two  or  three  short,  low  canons  to  day,  and 
on  emerging  from  one,  we  discover  a  band  of  Indians  in  the  valley  below. 
They  see  us,  and  scamper  away  in  most  eager  haste,  to  hide  among  the 
rocks.  Although  we  land,  and  call  for  them  to  return,  not  an  Indian  can 
be  seen. 

Two  or  three  miles  farther  down,  in  turning  a  short  bend  in  the  river, 
we  come  upon  another  camp.  So  near  are  we  before  they  can  see  us  that 
I  can  shout  to  them,  and,  being  able  to  speak  a  little  of  their  language,  I 
tell  them  we  are  friends;  but  they  all  flee  to  the  rocks,  except  a  man,  a 
woman,  and  two  children.  We  land,  and  talk  with  them.  They  are  with- 


104     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

out  lodges,  but  have  built  little  shelters  of  boughs,  under  which  they  wal 
low  in  the  sand.  The  man  is  dressed  in  a  hat;  the  woman  in  a  string  of 
beads  only.  At  first  they  are  evidently  much  terrified;  but  when  I  talk  to 
them  in  their  own  language,  and  tell  them  we  are  friends,  and  inquire  after 
people  in  the  Mormon  towns,  they  are  soon  reassured,  and  beg  for  tobacco. 
Of  this  precious  article  we  have  none  to  spare.  Sumner  looks  around  in 
the  boat  for  something  to  give  them,  and  finds  a  little  piece  of  colored  soap, 
which  they  receive  as  a  valuable  present,  rather  as  a  thing  of  beauty  than 
as  a  useful  commodity,  however.  They  are  either  unwilling  or  unable  to 
tell  us  anything  about  the  Indians  or  white  people,  and  so  we  push  off,  for 
we  must  lose  no  time. 

We  camp  at  noon  under  the  right  bank.  And  now,  as  we  push  out,  we 
are  in  great  expectancy,  for  we  hope  every  minute  to  discover  the  mouth  of 
the  Rio  Virgen. 

Soon  one  of  the  men  exclaims:  "Yonder's  an  Indian  in  the  river." 
Looking  for  a  few  minutes,  we  certainly  do  see  two  or  three  persons.  The 
men  bend  to  their  oars,  and  pull  toward  them.  Approaching,  we  see  that 
there  are  three  white  men  and  an  Indian  hauling  a  seine,  and  then  we  dis 
cover  that  it  is  just  at  the  mouth  of  the  long  sought  river. 

As  we  come  near,  the  men  seen  far  less  surprised  to  see  us  than  we  do 
to  see  them.  They  evidently  know  who  we  are,  and,  on  talking  with  them, 
they  tell  us  that  we  have  been  reported  lost  long  ago,  and  that  some  weeks 
before,  a  messenger  had  been  sent  from  Salt  Lake  City,  with  instructions  for 
them  to  watch  for  any  fragments  or  relics  of  our^party  that  might  drift  down 
the  stream. 

Our  new  found  friends,  Mr.  Asa  and  his  two  sons,  tell  us  that  they  are 
pioneers  of  a  town  that  is  to  be  built  on  the  bank. 

Eighteen  or  twenty  miles  up  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Virgen  there  are 
two  Mormon  towns,  St.  Joseph  and  St.  Thomas.  To  night  we  dispatch  an 
Indian  to  the  last  mentioned  place,  to  bring  any  letters  that  may  be  there 
for  us. 

Our  arrival  here  is  very  opportune.  When  we  look  over  our  store  of 
supplies,  we  find  about  ten  pounds  of  flour,  fifteen  pounds  of  dried  apples, 
but  seventy  or  eighty  pounds  of  coffee. 


Figure  35. — Our  Indian  messeuger. 


THE  JOURNEY  ENDED.  105 

August  31. — This  afternoon  the  Indian  returns  with  a  letter,  informing 
us  that  Bishop  Leithhead,  of  St.  Thomas,  and  two  or  three  other  Mormons 
are  coming  down  with  a  wagon,  bringing  us  supplies.  They  arrive  about 
sundown.  Mr.  Asa  treats  us  with  great  kindness,  to  the  extent  of  his  ability; 
but  Bishop  Leithhead  brings  in  his  wagon  two  or  three  dozen  melons,  and 
many  other  little  luxuries,  and  we  are  comfortable  once  more. 

September  1. — This  morning  Sumner,  Bradley,  Hawkins,  and  Hall, 
taking  on  a  small  supply  of  rations,  start  down  the  Colorado  with  the  boats. 
It  is  their  intention  to  go  to  Fort  Mojave,  and  perhaps  from  there  overland 
to  Los  Angeles. 

Captain  Powell  and  myself  return  with  Bishop  Leithhead  to  St.  Thomas. 
From  St.  Thomas  we  go  to  Salt  Lake  City. 
14  COL 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    RIO    VIRGEN   AND    THE    U-IN-KA-RET   MOUNTAINS. 

We' have  determined  to  continue  the  exploration  of  the  canons  of  the 
Colorado.  Our  last  trip  was  so  hurried,  owing  to  the  loss  of  rations,  and 
the  scientific  instruments  were  so  badly  injured,  that  we  are  not  satisfied 
with  the  results  obtained,  so  we  shall  once  more  attempt  to  pass  through  the 
caflons  in  boats,  devoting  two  or  three  years  to  the  trip. 

It  will  not  be  possible  to  carry  in  the  boats  sufficient  supplies  for  the 
party  for  that  length  of  time,  so  it  is  thought  best'  to  establish  depots  of 
supplies,  at  intervals  of  one  or  two  hundred  miles  along  the  river. 

Between  Gunnison's  Crossing  and  the  foot  of  the  Grand  Canon,  we 
know  of  only  two  points  where  the  river  can  be  reached — one  at  the  Cross 
ing  of  the  Fathers,  and  another  a  few  miles  below,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Paria, 
on  a  route  which  has  been  explored  by  Jacob  Hamblin,  a  Mormon  mis 
sionary.  These  two  points  are  so  near  each  other  that  only  one  of  them 
can  be  selected  for  the  purpose  above  mentioned,  and  others  must  be  found. 
We  have  been  unable,  up  to  this  time,  to  obtain,  either  from  Indians  or  white 
men,  any  information  which  will  give  us  a  clue  to  any  other  trail  to  the 
river. 

At  the  head  waters  of  the  Sevier,  we  are  on  the  summit  of  a  great 
water-shed.  The  Sevier  itself  flows  north,  and  then  westward,  into  the  lake 
of  the  same  name.  The  Rio  Virgen,  heading  near  by,  flows  to  the  south 
west,  into  the  Colorado,  sixty  or  seventy  miles  below  the  Grand  Canon. 
The  Kanab,  also  heading  near  by,  runs  directly  south,  into  the  very  heart 
of  the  Grand  Canon.  The  Paria,  also  heading  near  by,  runs  a  little  south 
of  east,  and  enters  the  river  at  the  head  of  Marble  Canon.  To  the  northeast 
from  this  point,  other  streams,  which  run  into  the  Colorado,  have  their  sources, 
until,  forty  or  fifty  miles  away,  we  reach  the  southern  branches  of  the 


*  -^-=^:  -  ,^Dv; 


Figure  36.  —Mary's  Veil,  the  upper  fall 
ou  Pine  Creek,  a  small  tributary  ot 
the  Sevier. 


Figure  '.M. — Pilliiiji's  Cascade,  tlie 
lower  fall  ou  Piue  Creek. 


POTJNS-A-GUNT  PLATEAU.  107 

Dirty  Devil  River,  the  mouth  of  which  stream  is  but  a  short  distance  below 
the  junction  of  the  Grand  and  Green. 

The  Pouns-a'-gunt  Plateau  terminates  in  a  point,  which  is  bounded  by 
a  line  of  beautiful  pink  cliffs.  At  the  foot  of  this  plateau,  on  the  west,  the 
Rio  Virgen  and  Sevier  Rivers  are*4ovetailed  together,  as  their  minute  upper 
branches  interlock.  The  upper  surface  of  the  plateau  inclines  to  the  north 
east,  so  that  its  waters  roll  off  into  the  Sevier;  but  from  the  foot  of  the  cliffs, 
quite  around  the  sharp  angle  of  the  plateau,  for  a  dozen  miles,  we  find 
numerous  springs,  whose  waters  unite  to  form  the  Kanab.  But  a  little 
farther  to  the  northeast  the  springs  gather  into  streams  that  feed  the  Paria. 

Here,  by  the  upper  springs  of  the  Kanab,  we  make  a  camp,  and  from 
this  point  we  are  to  radiate  on  a  series  of  trips,  southwest,  south,  and  east. 

Jacob  Hamblin,  who  has  been  a  missionary  among  the  Indians  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  has  collected  a  number  of  Kai' -vav-its,  with  Chu-ar'-ru- 
um-peak,  their  chief,  and  they  are  all  camped  with  us.  They  assure  us  that 
we  cannot  reach  the  river;  that  we  cannot  make  our  way  into  the  depths  of 
the  canon,  but  promise  to  show  us  the  springs  and  water  pockets,  which  are 
very  scarce  in  all  this  region,  and  to  give  us  all  the  information  in  their  power. 

Here  we  fit  up  a  pack  train,  for  our  bedding  and  instruments,  and  sup 
plies  are  to  be  carried  on  the  backs  of  mules  and  ponies. 

September  5,  1870. — The  several  members  of  the  party  are  engaged  in 
general  preparation  for  our  trip  down  to  the  Grand  Cation. 

Taking  with  me  a  white  man  and  an  Indian,  I  start  on  a  climb  to  the 
summit  of  the  Pouns-a'-gunt  Plateau,  which  rises  above  us  on  the  east.  Our 
way,  for  a  mile  or  more,  is  over  a  great  peat  bog,  that  trembles  under  our 
feet,  and  now  and  then  a  mule  sinks  through  the  broken  turf,  and  we  are 
compelled  to  pull  it  out  with  ropes. 

Passing  the  bog,  our  way  is  up  a  gulch,  at  the  foot  of  the  Pink  Cliffs, 
which  form  the  escarpment,  or  wall,  of  the  great  plateau.  Soon  we  leave  the 
gulch,  and  climb  a  long  ridge,  which  winds  around  to  the  right  toward  the 
summit  of  the  great  table. 

Two  hours'  riding,  climbing,  and  clambering  brings  us  near  the  top.  We 
look  below,  and  see  clouds  drifting  up  from  the  south,  and  rolling  tumult- 
uously  toward  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  beneath  us.  Soon,  all  the  countr^ 


108  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOKADO. 

below  is  covered  with  a  sea  of  vapor — a  billowy,  raging,  noiseless  sea — and 
as  the  vapory  flood  still  rolls  up  from  the  south,  great  waves  dash  against  the 
foot  of  the  cliffs  and  roll  back;  another  tide  conies  in,  is  hurled  back,  and 
another  and  another,  lashing  the  cliffs  until  the  fog  rises  to  the  summit,  and 
covers  us  all. 

There  is  a  heavy  pine  and  fir  forest  above,  beset  with  dead  and  fallen 
timber,  and  we  make  our  way  through  the  undergrowth  to  the  east. 

It  rains !  The  clouds  discharge  their  moisture  in  torrents,  and  we  make 
for  ourselves  shelters  of  boughs,  which  are  soon  abandoned,  and  we  stand 
shivering  by  a  great  fire  of  pine  logs  and  boughs,  which  we  have  kindled, 
but  which  the  pelting  storm  half  extinguishes. 

One,  two,  three,  four  hours'  of  the  storm,  and  at  last  it  partially  abates. 

During  this  time  our  animals,  which  we  have  turned  loose,  have  sought 
for  themselves  shelter  under  the  trees,  and  two  of  them  have  wandered  away 
beyond  our  sight.  I  go  out  to  follow  their  tracks,  and  come  near  to  the 
brink  of  a  ledge  of  rocks,  which,  in  the  fog  and  mist,  I  suppose  to  be  a  little 
ridge,  and  I  look  for  a  way  by  which  I  can  go  down.  Standing  just  here, 
there  is  a  rift  made  in  the  fog  below,  by  some  current  or  blast  of  wind,  which 
reveals  an  almost  bottomless  abyss.  I  look  from  the  brink  of  a  great  preci 
pice  of  more  than  two  thousand  feet;  but,  through  the  mist,  the  forms  below 
are  half  obscured,  and  all  reckoning  of  distance  is  lost,  and  it  seems  ten 
thousand  feet,  ten  miles — any  distance  the  imagination  desires  to  make  it. 

Catching  our  animals,  we  return  to  the  camp.  We  find  that  the  little 
streams  which  come  down  from  the  plateau  are  greatly  swollen,  but  at  camp 
they  have  had  no  rain.  The  clouds  which  drifted  up  from  the  south,  striking 
against  the  plateau,  were  lifted  up  into  colder  regions,  and  discharged  their 
moisture  on  the  summit,  and  against  the  sides  of  the  plateau,  but  there  was 
no  rain  in  the  valley  below. 

September  9. — We  make  a  fair  start  this  morning,  from  the  beautiful 
meadow  at  the  head  of  the  Kanab,  and  cross  the  line  of  little  hills  at  the 
headwaters  of  the  Rio  Virgen,  and  pass,  to  the  south,  a  pretty  valley,  and 
at  ten  o'clock  come  to  the  brink  of  a  great  geographic  bench — a  line  of  cliffs. 
Behind  us  are  cool  springs,  green  meadows,  and  forest  clad  slopes;  below 
us,  stretching  to  the  south,  until  the  world  is  lost  in  blue  haze,  is  a  painted 


Figure  H8. — Entrance  to  Pa-ru'-nu-weap. 


PA-RU'-NU-WEAP  <JA$X)N.  109 

desert;  not  a  desert  plain,  but  a  desert  of  rocks,  cut  by  deep  gorges,  and 
relieved  by  towering  cliffs  and  pinnacled  rocks — naked  rocks,  brilliant  in  the 
sunlight. 

By  a  difficult  trail,  we  make  our  way  down  the  basaltic  ledge,  through 
which  innumerable  streams  here  gather  into  a  little  river,  running  in  a  deep 
canon.  The  river  runs  close  to  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  on  the  right  hand  side, 
and  the  trail  passes  along  to  the  right.  At  noon  we  rest,  and  our  animals 
feed  on  luxuriant  grass. 

Again  we  start,  and  make  slow  progress  along  a  stony  way.  At  night 
we  camp  under  an  overarching  cliff. 

September  10. — Here  the  river  turns  to  the  west,  and  our  way,  properly, 
is  to  the  south;  but  we  wish  to  explore  the  Rio  Virgen  as  far  as  possible. 
The  Indians  tell  us  that  the  canon  narrows  gradually,  a  few  miles  below, 
and  that  it  will  be  impossible  to  take  our  animals  much  farther  down  the 
river.  Early  in  the  morning,  I  go  down  to  examine  the  head  of  this  narrow 
part.  After  breakfast,  having  concluded  to  explore  the  canon  for  a  few  miles 
on  foot,  we  arrange  that  the  main  party  shall  climb  the  cliff,  and  go  around 
to  a  point  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  below,  where,  the  Indians  say,  the  ani 
mals  can  be  taken  down  by  the  river,  and  three  of  us  set  out  on  foot. 

The  Indian  name  of  the  canon  is  Pa-ru' -nn-weap,  or  Roaring  Water 
Canon.  Between  the  little  river  and  the  foot  of  the  walls,  is  a  dense  growth 
of  willows,  vines,  and  wild  rose  bushes,  and,  with  great  difficulty,  we  make 
our  way  through  this  tangled  mass.  It  is  not  a  wide  stream — only  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  across  in  most  places;  shallow,  but  very  swift.  After  spend 
ing  some  hours  in  breaking  our  way  through  the  mass  of  vegetation,  and 
climbing  rocks  here  and  there,  it  is  determined  to  wade  along  the  stream. 
In  some  places  this  is  an  easy  task,  but  here  and  there  we  come  to  deep 
holes,  where  we  have  to  wade  to  our  arm  pits.  Soon  we  come  to  places  so 
narrow  that  the  river  fills  the  entire  channel,  and  we  wade  perforce.  In 
many  places  the  bottom  is  a  quicksand,  into  which  we  sink,  and  it  is  with 
great  difficulty  that  we  make  progress.  In  some  places  the  holes  are  so  deep 
that  we  have  to  swim,  and  our  little  bundles  of  blankets  and  rations  are  fixed 
to  a  raft  made  of  driftwood,  and  pushed  before  us.  Now  and  then  there  is 
a  little  flood-plain,  on  which  we  can  walk,  and  we  cross  and  recross  the 


110  EXPLOKATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

stream,  and  wade  along  the  channel  where  the  water  is  so  swift  as  to  almost 
carry  us  off  our  feet,  and  we  are  in  danger  every  moment  of  being  swept 
down,  until  night  comes  on.  We  estimate  we  have  traveled  eight  miles  to 
day.  We  find  a  little  patch  of  flood-plain,  on  which  there  is  a  huge  pile  of 
driftwood  and  a  clump  of  box-elders,  and  near  by  a  great  stream,  which  bursts 
from  the  rocks — a  mammoth  spring. 

We  soon  have  a  huge  fire,  our  clothes  are  spread  to  dry,  we  make  a 
cup  of  coffee,  take  out  our  bread  and  cheese  and  dried  beef,  and  enjoy  a 
hearty  supper. 

The  canon  here  is  about  twelve  hundred  feet  deep.  It  has  been  very 
narrow  and  winding  all  the  way  down  to  this  point 

September  11. — Wading  again  this  morning;  sinking  in  the  quicksand, 
swimming  the  deep  waters,  and  making  slow  and  painful  progress  where  the 
waters  are  swift,  and  the  bed  of  the  stream  rocky. 

The  canon  is  steadily  becoming  deeper,  and,  in  many  places,  very  nar 
row — only  twenty  or  thirty  feet  wide  below,  and  in  some  places  no  wider,  and 
even  narrower,  for  hundreds  of  feet  overhead.  There  are  places  where  the 
river,  in  sweeping  by  curves,  has  cut  far  under  the  rocks,  but  still  preserv 
ing  its  narrow  channel,  so  that  there  is  an  overhanging  wall  on  one  side  and 
an  inclined  wall  on  the  other.  In  places  a  few  hundred  feet  above,  it 
becomes  vertical  again,  and  thus  the  view  to  the  sky  is  entirely  closed. 
Everywhere  this  deep  passage  is  dark  and  gloomy,  and  resounds  with  the 
noise  of  rapid  waters.  At  noon  we  are  in  a  canon  2,500  feet  deep,  and  we 
come  to  a  fall  where  the  walls  are  broken  down,  and  huge  rocks  beset  the 
channel,  on  which  we  obtain  a  foothold  to  reach  a  level  two  hundred  feet 
below.  Here  the  canon  is  again  wider,  and  we  find  a  flood-plain,  along 
which  we  can  walk,  now  on  this,  and  now  on  that  side  of  the  stream. 
Gradually  the  canon  widens ;  steep  rapids,  cascades,  and  cataracts  are  found 
along  the  river,  but  we  wade  only  when  it  is  necessary  to  cross.  We  make 
progress  with  very  great  labor,  having  to  climb  over  piles  of  broken  rocks. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  we  come  to  a  little  clearing  in  the  valley,  and  see 
other  signs  of  civilization,  and  by  sundown  arrive  at  the  Mormon  town  of 
Sclmnesburg;  and  here  we  meet  the  train,  and  feast  on  melons  and 
grapes. 


Figure  39. — lla-koon'-to-weap  Canon. 


MU-KOON'-TU-WEAP  CAJSfON.  HI 

September  12. — Our  course,  for  the  last  two  days,  through  Pa-ru' -nu-weap 
Canon,  was  directly  to  the  west.  Another  stream  comes  down  from  the 
north,  and  unites  just  here  at  Schunesburg  with  the  main  branch  of  the  Rio 
Virgen.  We  determine  to  spend  a  day  in  the  exploration  of  this  stream. 
The  Indians  call  the  canon,  through  which  it  runs,  Mu-koori -tu-weap,  or 
Straight  Canon.  Entering  this,  w^  have  to  wade  up  stream;  often  the  water 
fills  the  entire  channel,  and,  although  we  travel  many  miles,  we  find  no  flood- 
plain,  talus,  or  broken  piles  of  rock  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff.  The  walls  have 
smooth,  plain  faces,  and  are  everywhere  very  regular  and  vertical  for  a 
thousand  feet  or  more,  where  they  seem  to  break  back  in  shelving  slopes  to 
higher  altitudes;  and  everywhere,  as  we  go  along,  we  find  springs  bursting 
out  at  the  foot  of  the  walls,  and,  passing  these,  the  river  above  becomes 
steadily  smaller;  the  great  body  of  water,  which  runs  below,  bursts  out 
from  beneath  this  great  bed  of  red  sandstone ;  as  we  go  up  the  canon,  it 
comes  to  be  but  a  creek,  and  then  a  brook.  On  the  western  wall  of  the 
canon  stand  some  buttes,  towers,  and  high  pinnacled  rocks.  Going  up  the 
canon,  we  gain  glimpses  of  them,  here  and  there.  Last  summer,  after  our 
trip  through  the  canons  of  the  Colorado,  on  our  way  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Virgen  to  Salt  Lake  City,  these  were  seen  as  conspicuous  landmarks,  from 
a  distance,  away  to  the  southwest,  of  sixty  or  seventy  miles.  These  tower 
rocks  are  known  as  the  Temples  of  the  Virgen. 

Having  explored  this  canon  nearly  to  its  head,  we  return  to  Schunes 
burg,  arriving  quite  late  at  night. 

Sitting  in  camp  this  evening,  Chu-ar' -ru-um-peak,  the  chief  of  the  Kai'- 
vav-its,  who  is  one  of  our  party,  tells  us  there  is  a  tradition  among  the  tribes 
of  this  country,  that  many  years  ago  a  great  light  was  seen  somewhere  in 
this  region  by  the  Pa-ru' -sha-pats,  who  lived  to  the  southwest,  and  that 
they  supposed  it  to  be  a  signal,  kindled  to  warn  them  of  the  approach  of 
the  Navajos,  who  live  beyond  the  Colorado  River  to  the  east.  Then  other 
signal  fires  were  kindled  on  the  Pine  Valley  Mountain,  Santa  Clara  Mount 
ains,  and  U-in-ka-ret  Mountains,  so  that  all  the  tribes  of  Northern  Arizona, 
Southern  Utah,  Southern  Nevada,  and  Southern  California  were  warned  of 
the  approaching  danger ;  but  when  the  Pa-ru' -sha-pats  came  nearer,  they 
discovered  that  it  was  a  fire  on  one  of  the  great  Temples ;  and  then  they 


112  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

knew  that  the  fire  was  not  kindled  by  men,  for  no  human  being  could  scale 
the  rocks.  The  Tu' -mu-ur-ru-gwait' -si-gaip,  or  Rock  Rovers,  had  kindled  a 
fire  to  deceive  the  people.  In  the  Indian  language  this  is  called  Tu'-mu-ur- 
ru-gwait' -sl-gaip  Tu-weap' ',  or  Rock  Rovers'  Land. 

September  13. — We  start  very  early  this  morning,  for  we  have  a  long 
day's  travel  before  us.  Our  way  is  across  the  Rio  Virgen  to  the  south. 
Coming  to  the  bank  of  the  stream  here,  we  find  a  strange  metamorphosis. 
The  streams  we  have  seen  above,  running  in  narrow  channels,  leaping  and 
plunging  over  the  rocks,  raging  and  roaring  in  their  course,  are  here  united, 
and  spread  in  a  thin  sheet  several  hundred  yards  wide,  and  only  a  few  inches 
deep,  but  running  over  a  bed  of  quicksand.  Crossing  the  stream,  our  trail 
leads  up  a  narrow  canon,  not  very  deep,  and  then  among  the  hills  of  golden, 
red,  and  purple  shales  and  marls.  Climbing  out  of  the  valley  of  the  Rio 
Virgen,  we  pass  through  a  forest  of  dwarf  cedars,  and  come  out  at  the  foot 
of  the  Vermilion  Cliffs.  All  day  we  follow  this  Indian  trail  toward  the  east, 
and  at  night  camp  at  a  great  spring,  known  to  the  Indians  as  Yellow  Rock 
Spring,  but  to  the  Mormons  as  Pipe  Spring ;  and  near  by  there  is  a  cabin 
in  which  some  Mormon  herders  find  shelter.  Pipe  Spring  is  a  point  just 
across  the  Utah  line  in  Arizona,  and  we  suppose  it  to  be  about  sixty  miles 
from  the  river.  Here  the  Mormons  design  to  build  a  fort  another  year,  as 
an  outpost  for  protection  against  the  Indians. 

Here  we  discharge  a  number  of  the  Indians,  but  take  two  with  us  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  us  the  springs,  for  they  are  very  scarce,  very  small, 
and  not  easily  found.  Half  a  dozen  are  not  known  in  a  district  of  country 
large  enough  to  make  as  many  good  sized  counties  in  Illinois.  There  are 
no  running  streams,  and  these  springs  and  water-pockets — that  is,  holes  in 
the  rocks,  which  hold  water  from  shower  to  shower — are  our  only  depend 
ence  for  this  element. 

Starting,  we  leave  behind  a  long  line  of  cliffs,  many  hundred  feet  high, 
composed  of  orange  and  vermilion  sandstones.  I  have  named  them  "Ver 
milion  Cliffs."  When  we  are  out  a  few  miles,  I  look  back,  and  see  the 
morning  sun  shining  in  splendor  on  their  painted  faces;  the  salient  angles 
are  on  fire,  and  the  retreating  angles  are  buried  in  shade,  and  I  gaze  on  them 
until  my  vision  dreams,  and  the  cliffs  appear  a  long  bank  of  purple  clouds, 


Figure  40. — Temples  or  Rock-Rovers'  Land. 


PIPE  SPKEffG.  113 

piled  from  the  horizon  high  into  the  heavens.  At  noon  we  pass  along  a 
ledge  of  chocolate  cliffs,  and,  taking  out  our  sandwiches,  we  make  a  dinner 
as  we  ride  along. 

Yesterday,  our  Indians  discussed  for  hours  the  route  which  we  should 
take.  There  is  one  way,  farther  by  ten  or  twelve  miles,  with  sure  water ; 
another  shorter,  where  water  i*  found  sometimes;  their  conclusion  was 
that  water  would  be  found  now;  and  this  is  the  way  we  go,  yet  all  day  long 
we  are  anxious  about  it.  To  be  out  two  days,  with  only  the  water  that  can 
be  carried  in  two  small  kegs,  is  to  have  our  animals  suffer  greatly.  At  five 
o'clock  we  come  to  the  spot,  and  there  is  a  huge  water-pocket,  containing 
several  barrels.  What  a  relief !  Here  we  camp  for  the  night. 

September  15. — Up  at  day-break,  for  it  is  a  long  day's  march  to  the  next 
water.  They  say  we  must  "run  very  hard"  to  reach  it  by  dark. 

Our  course  is  to  the  south.  From  Pipe  Spring  we  can  see  a  mountain, 
and  I  recognize  it  as  the  one  seen  last  summer  from  a  cliff  overlooking  the 
Grand  Canon;  and  I  wish  to  reach  the  river  just  behind  the  mountain. 
There  are  Indians  living  in  the  group,  of  which  it  is  the  highest,  whom  I 
wish  to  visit  on  the  way.  These  mountains  are  of  volcanic  origin,  and  we 
soon  come  to  ground  that  is  covered  with  fragments  of  lava.  The  way 
becomes  very  difficult.  We  have  to  cross  deep  ravines,  the  heads  of  canons 
that  run  into  the  Grand  Canon.  It  is  curious  now  to  observe  the  knowl 
edge  of  our  Indians.  There  is  not  a  trail  but  what  they  know;  every  gulch 
and  every  rock  seems  familiar.  I  have  prided  myself  on  being  able  to 
grasp  and  retain  in  my  mind  the  topography  of  a  country;  but  these  Indians 
put  me  to  shame.  My  knowledge  is  only  general,  embracing  the  more 
important  features  of  a  region  that  remains  as  a  map  engraved  on  my  mind; 
but  theirs  is  particular.  They  know  every  rock  and  every  ledge,  every 
gulch  and  canon,  and  just  where  to  wind  among  these  to  find  a  pass;  and 
their  knowledge  is  unerring.  They  cannot  describe  a  country  to  you,  but 
they  can  tell  you  all  the  particulars  of  a  route. 

I  have  but  one  pony  for  the  two,  and  they  were  to  ride  u  turn  about" ; 
but  Chu-ar' ' -ru-um-pcak,  the  chief,  rides,  and  Shuts,  the  one-eyed,  bare 
legged,  merry-faced  pigmy,  walks,  and  points  the  way  with  a  slender  cane; 
then  leaps  and  bounds  by  the  shortest  way,  and  sits  down  on  a  rock  and 
15  COL 


114  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

waits  demurely  until  we  come,  always  meeting  us  with  a  jest,  his  face  a  rich 
mine  of  sunny  smiles. 

At  dusk  we  reach  the  water-pocket.  It  is  in  a  deep  gorge,  on  the  flank 
of  this  great  mountain.  During  the  rainy  season  the  water  rolls  down  the 
mountain  side,  plunging  over  precipices,  and  excavates  a  deep  basin  in  the 
solid  rock  below.  This  basin,  hidden  from  the  sun,  holds  water  the  year 
round. 

September  16. — This  morning,  while  the  men  are  packing  the  animals, 
I  climb  a  little  mountain  near  camp,  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  country.  It  is 
a  huge  pile  of  volcanic  scoria,  loose  and  light  as  cinders  from  a  forge,  which 
give  way  under  my  feet,  and  I  climb  with  great  labor ;  but  reaching  the 
summit,  and  looking  to  the  southeast,  I  see  once  more  the  labyrinth  of  deep 
gorges  that  flank  the  Grand  Canon;  in  the  multitude,  I  cannot  determine 
whether  it  be  in  view  or  not.  The  memories  of  grand  and  awful  months 
spent  in  their  deep,  gloomy  solitudes  come  up,  and  I  live  that  life  over  again 
for  a  time. 

I  supposed,  before  starting,  that  I  could  get  a  good  view  of  the  great 
mountain  from  this  point ;  but  it  is  like  climbing  a  chair  to  look  at  a  castle. 
I  wish  to  discover  some  way  by  which  it  can  be  ascended,  as  it  is  my  inten 
tion  to  go  to  the  summit  before  I  return  to  the  settlements.  There  is  a  cliff 
near  the  summit,  and  I  do  not  see  the  way  yet.  Now  down  I  go,  sliding 
on  the  cinders,  making  them  rattle  and  clang. 

The  Indians  say  we  are  to  have  a  short  ride  to  day,  and  that  we  will 
reach  an  Indian  village,  situated  by  a  good  spring.  Our  way  is  across  the 
spurs  that  put  out  from  the  great  mountain,  as  we  pass  it  to  the  left. 

Up  and  down  we  go,  across  deep  ravines,  and  the  fragments  of  lava 
clank  under  our  horses'  feet;  now  among  cedars,  now  among  pines,  and  now 
across  mountain  side  glades.  At  one  o'clock  we  descend  into  a  lovely  val 
ley,  with  a  carpet  of  waving  grass;  sometimes  there  is  a  little  water  in  the 
upper  end  of  it,  and,  during  some  seasons,  the  Indians  we  wish  to  find  are 
encamped  here.  Chu-ar' -ru-um-peak  rides  on  to  find  them,  and  to  say  we 
are  friends,  otherwise  they  would  run  away,  or  propose  to  fight  us,  should 
we  come  without  notice.  Soon  we  see  Chu-ar' -ru-um-peak  riding  at  full 
speed,  and  hear  him  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and  away  in  the  dis- 


Figure  4t. — U-nn'-piii  Pi-ka'-vu,  or  Elfin  Water  Pocket. 


Figure  42.— Wu-nav'-ai  gathering  seeds. 


INQUIEING  THE  WAY.  H5 

tance  are  two  Indians,  scampering  up  the  mountain  side.  One  stops;  the 
other  still  goes  on,  and  is  soon  lost  to  view.  We  ride  up,  and  find  CJm-ar'- 
ru-um-peak  talking  with  the  one  who  had  stopped.  It  is  one  of  the  ladies 
resident  in  these  mountain  glades;  she  is  evidently  paying  taxes,  Godiva 
like.  She  tells  us  that  her  people  are  at  the  spring;  that  it  is  only  two  hours' 
ride;  that  her  good  master  has  gone  on  to  tell  them  we  are  coming,  and 
that  she  is  harvesting  seeds. 

We  sit  down  and  eat  our  luncheon,  and  share  our  biscuit  with  the 
woman  of  the  mountains ;  then  on  we  go,  over  a  divide  between  two  rounded 
peaks.  I  send  the  party  on  to  the  village,  and  climb  the  peak  on  the  left, 
riding  my  horse  to  the  upper  limit  of  trees,  and  then  tugging  up  afoot. 
From  this  point  I  can  see  the  Grand  Canon,  and  know  where  I  am.  I  can 
see  the  Indian  village,  too,  in  a  grassy  valley,  embosomed  in  the  mountains, 
the  smoke  curling  up  from  their  fires;  my  men  are  turning  out  their  horses, 
and  a  group  of  natives  stand  around.  Down  the  mountain  I  go,  and  reach 
camp  at  sunset. 

After  supper  we  put  some  cedar  boughs  on  the  fire,  the  dusky  villagers 
sit  around,  and  we  have  a  smoke  and  a  talk.  I  explain  the  object  of  my 
visit,  and  assure  them  of  my  friendly  intentions.  Then  I  ask  them  about  a 
way  down  into  the  canon.  They  tell  me  that  years  ago,  a  way  was  discov 
ered  by  which  parties  could  go  down,  but  that  no  one  has  attempted  it  for 
a  long  time;  that  it  is  a  very  difficult  and  very  dangerous  undertaking  to 
reach  the  "Big  Water."  Then  I  inquire  about  the  SM'-vwits,  a  tribe  that 
lives  about  the  springs  on  the  mountain  sides  and  canon  cliffs  to  the  south 
west.  They  say  that  their  village  is  now  about  thirty  miles  away,  and 
promise  to  send  a  messenger  for  them  to  morrow  morning. 

Having  finished  our  business  for  the  evening,  I  ask  if  there  is  a  tu-givi'- 
na-gunt  in  camp :  that  is,  if  there  is  any  one  present  who  is  skilled  in  relat 
ing  their  mythology.  Chu-ar' -ru-um-peak  says  To-mor'-ro-un-ti-kai,  the  chief 
of  these  Indians,  is  a  very  noted  man  for  his  skill  in  this  matter;  but  they 
both  object,  by  saying  that  the  season  for  tu-gwi'-nai  has  not  yet  arrived. 
But  I  had  anticipated  this,  and  soon  some  members  of  the  party  come  with 
pipes  and  tobacco,  a  large  kettle  of  coffee,  and  a  tray  of  biscuits,  and,  after 
sundry  ceremonies  of  pipe  lighting  and  smoking,  we  all  feast,  and,  warmed 


116     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  OASWS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

up  by  this,  to  them,  unusual  good  living,  it  is  decided  that  the  night  shall 
be  spent  in  relating  mythology.  I  ask  To-mor' -ro-un-ti-kai  to  tell  us  about 
the  So'-kus  Wai'-un-ats,  or  One  Two  Boys,  and  to  this  he  agrees. 

The  long  winter  evenings  of  an  Indian  camp  are  usually  devoted  to 
the  relation  of  mythological  stories,  which  purport  to  give  a  history  of  an 
ancient  race  of  animal  gods.  The  stories  are  usually  told  by  some  old  man, 
assisted  by  others  of  the  party,  who  take  secondary  parts,  while  the  mem 
bers  of  the  tribe  gather  about,  and  make  comments,  or  receive  impressions 
from  the  morals  which  are  enforced  by  the  story  teller,  or,  more  properly, 
story  tellers;  for  the  exercise  partakes  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  a  theatri 
cal  performance. 

THE    SO'-KUS   WAl'-UN-ATS. 

Tum-pwi-nai' -ro-gwi-nump,  he  who  had  a  stone  shirt,  killed  Si-Jcor',  the 
Crane,  and  stole  his  wife,  and  seeing  that  she  had  a  child,  and  thinking  it 
would  be  an  incumbrance  to  them  on  their  travels,  he  ordered  her  to  kill  it. 
But  the  mother,  loving  the  babe,  hid  it  under  her  dress,  and  carried  it  away 
to  its  grandmother.  And  Stone  Shirt  carried  his  captured  bride  to  his  own 
land. 

In  a  few  years  the  child  grew  to  be  a  fine  lad,  under  the  care  of  his 
grandmother,  and  was  her  companion  wherever  she  went. 

One  day  they  were  digging  flag  roots,  on  the  margin  of  the  river,  and 
putting  them  in  a  heap  on  the  bank.  When  they  had  been  at  work  a  little 
while,  the  boy  perceived  that  the  roots  came  up  with  greater  ease  than  was 
customary,  and  he  asked  the  old  woman  the  cause  of  this,  but  she  did  not 
know;  and,  as  they  continued  their  work,  still  the  reeds  came  up  with  less 
effort,  at  which  their  wonder  increased,  until  the  grandmother  said,  "  Surely, 
some  strange  thing  is  about  to  transpire."  Then  the  boy  went  to  the  heap, 
where  they  had  been  placing  the  roots,  and  found  that  some  one  had  taken 
them  away,  and  he  ran  back,  exclaiming,  "Grandmother,  did  you  take  the 
roots  awayf  And  she  answered,  "No,  my  child;  perhaps  some  ghost  has 
taken  them  off;  let  us  dig  no  more;  come  away."  But  the  boy  was  not 
satisfied,  as  he  greatly  desired  to  know  what  all  this  meant;  so  he  searched 
about  for  a  time,  and  at  length  found  a  man  sitting  under  a  tree,  whom  he 
taunted  with  being  a  thief,  and  threw  mud  and  stones  at  him,  until  he  broke 


THE  STRANGER'S  STORY.  117 

the  stranger's  leg,  who  answered  not  the  boy,  nor  resented  the  injuries  he 
received,  but  remained  silent  and  sorrowful;  and,  when  his  leg  was  broken, 
he  tied  it  up  in  sticks,  and  bathed  it  in  the  river,  and  sat  down  again  under 
the  tree,  and  beckoned  the  boy  to  approach.  When  the  lad  came  near,  the 
stranger  told  him  he  had  something  of  great  importance  to  reveal.  "My 
son,"  said  he,  "did  that  old  woman  ever  tell  you  about  your  father  and 
mother?"  "No,"  answered  the  boy;  "I  have  never  heard  of  them."  "My 
son,  do  you  see  these  bones  scattered  on  the  ground?  Whose  bones  are 
these?"  "How  should  I  know?"  answered  the  boy.  "It  may  be  that  some 
elk  or  deer  has  been  killed  here."  "No,"  said  the  old  man.  "Perhaps  they 
are  the  bones  of  a  bear;"  but  the  old  man  shook  his  head.  So  the  boy  men 
tioned  many  other  animals,  but  the  stranger  still  shook  his  head,  and  finally 
said,  "These  are  the  bones  of  your  father;  Stone  Shirt  killed  him,  and  left 
him  to  rot  here  on  the  ground,  like  a  wolf."  And  "the  boy  was  filled  with 
indignation  against  the  slayer  of  his  father.  Then  the  stranger  asked,  "Is 
your  mother  in  yonder  lodge?"  and  the  boy  replied,  "No."  "Does  your 
mother  live  on  the  banks  of  this  river?"  and  the  boy  answered,  "I  don't 
know  my  mother;  I  have  never  seen  her;  she  is  dead."  "My  son,"  replied 
the  stranger,  "Stone  Shirt,  who  killed  your  father,  stole  your  mother,  and 
took  her  away  to  the  shore  of  a  distant  lake,  and  there  she  is  his  wife  to  day." 
And  the  boy  wept  bitterly,  and  while  the  tears  filled  his  eyes  so  that  he  could 
not  see,  the  stranger  disappeared.  Then  the  boy  was  filled  with  wonder  at 
what  he  had  seen  and  heard,  and  malice  grew  in  his  heart  against  his  fath 
er's  enemy.  He  returned  to  the  old  woman,  and  said,  "Grandmother,  why 
have  you  lied  to  me  about  my  father  and  mother?"  and  she  answered  not, 
for  she  knew  that  a  ghost  had  told  all  to  the  boy.  And  the  boy  fell  .upon 
the  ground  weeping  and  sobbing,  until  he  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  when  strange 
things  were  told  him. 

His  slumber  continued  three  days  and  three  nights,  and  when  he 
awoke,  he  said  to  his  grandmother:  "I  am  going  away  to  enlist  all  nations 
in  my  fight;"  and  straightway  he  departed. 

(Here  the  boy's  travels  are  related  with  many  circumstances  concern 
ing  the  way  he  was  received  by  the  people,  all  given  in  a  series  of  conver 
sations,  very  lengthy,  so  they  will  be  omitted.) 


118  EXPLOEATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOKADO. 

Finally  he  returned  in  advance  of  the  people  whom  he  had  enlisted, 
bringing  with  him  Shin-au'-av,  the  wolf,  and  To-go'-av,  the  rattlesnake. 
When  the  three  had  eaten  food,  the  boy  said  to  the  old  woman:  "Grand 
mother,  cut  me  in  two ! "  But  she  demurred,  saying  she  did  not  wish  to  kill 
one  whom  she  loved  so  dearly.  "Cut  me  in  two!"  demanded  the  boy;  and 
he  gave  her  a  stone  ax,  which  he  had  brought  from  a  distant  country,  and 
with  a  manner  of  great  authority  he  again  commanded  her  to  cut  him  in 
two.  So  she  stood  before  him,  and  severed  him  in  twain,  and  fled  in  terror. 
And  lol  each  part  took  the  form  of  an  entire  man,  and  the  one  beautiful 
boy  appeared  as  two,  and  they  were  so  much  alike  no  one  could  tell  them 
apart. 

When  the  people  or  natives,  whom  the  boy  had  enlisted,  came  pouring 
into  the  camp,  Shin-au'-av  and  To-go'-av  were  engaged  in  telling  them  of 
the  wonderful  thing  that  had  happened  to  the  boy,  and  that  now  there  were 
two;  and  they  all  held  it  to  be  an  augury  of  a  successful  expedition  to  the 
land  of  Stone  Shirt.  And  they  started  on  their  journey. 

Now  the  boy  had  been  told  in  the  dream  of  his  three  days'  slumber,  of 
a  magical  cup,  and  he  had  brought  it  home  with  him  from  his  journey  among 
the  nations,  and  the  So'-kus  Wai'-un-ats  earned  it  between  them,  filled  with 
water.  Shin-au'-av  walked  on  their  right,  and  To-go'-av  on  their  left,  and 
the  nations  followed  in  the  order  in  which  they  had  been  enlisted.  There 
was  a  vast  number  of  them,  so  that  when  they  were  stretched  out  in  line  it 
was  one  day's  journey  from  the  front  to  the  rear  of  the  column. 

When  they  had  journeyed  two  days,  and  were  far  out  on  the  desert, 
all  the  people  thirsted,  for  they  found  no  water,  and  they  fell  down  upon  the 
sand,  groaning,  and  murmuring  that  they  had  been  deceived,  and  they 
cursed  the  One-Two. 

But  the  So'-kus  Wai'-un-ats  had  been  told  in  the  wonderful  dream  of 
the  suffering  which  would  be  endured,  and  that  the  water  which  they  carried 
in  the  cup  was  only  to  be  used  in  dire  necessity;  and  the  brothers  said  to 
each  other:  "Now  the  time  has  come  for  us  to  drink  the  water."  And  when 
one  had  quaffed  of  the  magical  bowl,  he  found  it  still  full;  and  he  gave  it 
to  the  other  to  drink,  and  still  it  was  full;  and  the  One-Two  gave  it  to  the 


Figure  43. — Indian  Village. 


TOGO'-AV  KILLS  THE  ANTELOPE.  119 

people,  and  one  after  another  did  they  all  drink,  and  still  the  cup  was  full 
to  the  brim. 

But  Shin'-au-av  was  dead,  and  all  the  people  mourned,  for  he  was  a 
great  man.  The  brothers  held  the  cup  over  him,  and  sprinkled  him  with 
water,  when  he  arose  and  said:  "Why  do  you  disturb  me?  I  did  have  a 
vision  of  mountain  brooks  and  meadows,  of  cane  where  honey-dew  was 
plenty."  They  gave  him  the  cup,  and  he  drank  also;  but  when  he  had 
finished  there  was  none  left.  Refreshed  and  rejoicing  they  proceeded  on 
their  journey. 

The  next  day,  being  without  food,  they  were  hungry,  and  all  were 
about  to  perish ;  and  again  they  murmured  at  the  brothers,  and  cursed  them. 
But  the  So'-kus  Wai'-un-ats  saw  in  the  distance  an  antelope,  standing  on  an 
eminence  in  the  plain,  in  bold  relief  against  the  sky;  and  Shin-au'-av  knew 
it  was  the  wonderful  antelope  with  many  eyes,  which  Stone  Shirt  kept  for 
his  watchman;  and  he  proposed  to  go  and  kill  it,  but  To-go'-av  demurred, 
and  said:  "It  were  better  that  I  should  go,  for  he  will  see  you,  and  run 
away."  But  the  So'-kus  Wai'-un-ats  told  Shin-au'-av  to  go;  and  he  started 
in  a  direction  away  to  the  left  of  where  the  antelope  was  standing,  that  he 
might  make  a  long  detour  about  some  hills,  and  come  upon  him  from  the 
other  side.  To-go'-av  went  a  little  way  from  camp,  and  called  to  the  broth 
ers:  "Do  you  see  me  I"  and  they  answered  they  did  not.  "Hunt  for  me;" 
and  while  they  were  hunting  for  him,  the  rattlesnake  said:  "I  can  see  you; 
you  are  doing" — so  and  so,  telling  them  what  they  were  doing;  but  they 
could  not  find  him. 

Then  the  rattlesnake  came  forth,  declaring:  "Now  you  know  I  can  see 
others,  and  that  I  cannot  be  seen  when  I  so  desire.  Shin-au'-av  cannot  kill 
that  antelope,  for  he  has  many  eyes,  and  is  the  wonderful  watchman  of  Stone 
Shirt;  but  I  can  kill  him,  for  I  can  go  where  he  is,  and  he  cannot  see  me." 
So  the  brothers  were  convinced,  and  permitted  him  to  go;  and  he  went  and 
killed  the  antelope.  When  Shin-au'-av  saw  it  fall,  he  was  very  angry,  for 
he  was  extremely  proud  of  his  fame  as  a  hunter,  and  anxious  to  have  the 
honor  of  killing  this  famous  antelope,  and  he  ran  up  with  the  intention  of 
killing  To-go'-av ;  but  when  he  drew  near,  and  saw  the  antelope  was  fat, 


120  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

and  would  make  a  rich  feast  for  the  people,  his  anger  was  appeased.  "  What 
matters  it,"  said  he,  "who  kills  the  game,  when  we  can  all  eat  it?" 

So  all  the  people  were  fed  in  abundance,  and  they  proceeded  on  their 
journey. 

The  next  day  the  people  again  suffered  for  water,  and  the  magical  cup 
was  empty;  but  the  So'-kus  Wai'-un-ats,  having  been  told  in  their  dream 
what  to  do,  transformed  themselves  into  doves,  and  flew  away  to  a  lake,  on 
the  margin  of  which  was  the  home  of  Stone  Shirt. 

Coming  near  to  the  shore,  they  saw  two  maidens  bathing  in  the  water; 
and  the  birds  stood  and  looked,  for  the  maidens  were  very  beautiful.  Then 
they  flew  into  some  bushes,  near  by,  to  have  a  nearer  view,  and  were  caught 
in  a  snare  which  the  girls  had  placed  for  intrusive  birds.  The  beautiful 
maidens  came  up,  and,  taking  the  birds  out  of  the  snare,  admired  them  very 
much,  for  they  had  never  seen  such  birds  before.  They  earned  them  to 
their  father,  Stone  Shirt,  who  said:  "My  daughters,  I  very  much  fear  these 
are  spies  from  my  enemies,  for  such  birds  do  not  live  in  our  land;"  and  he 
was  about  to  throw  them  into  the  fire,  when  the  maidens  besought  him,  with 
tears,  that  he  would  not  destroy  their  beautiful  birds;  but  he  yielded  to  their 
entreaties  with  much  misgiving.  Then  they  took  the  birds  to  the  shore  of 
the  lake,  and  set  them  free. 

When  the  birds  were  at  liberty  once  more,  they  flew  around  among 
the  bushes,  until  they  found  the  magical  cup  which  they  had  lost,  and  tak 
ing  it  up,  they  carried  it  out  into  the  middle  of  the  lake  and  settled  down 
upon  the  water,  and  the  maidens  supposed  they  were  drowned. 

The  birds,  when  they  had  filled  their  cup,  rose  again,  and  went  back 
to  the  people  in  the  desert,  where  they  arrived  just  at  the  right  time  to  save 
them  with  the  cup  of  water,  from  which  each  drank;  and  yet  it  was  full 
until  the  last  was  satisfied,  and  then  not  a  drop  remained. 

The  brothers  reported  that  they  had  seen  Stone  Shirt  and  his  daughters. 

The  next  day  they  came  near  to  the  home  of  the  enemy,  and  the 
brothers,  in  proper  person,  went  out  to  reconnoitre.  Seeing  a  woman  glean 
ing  seeds,  they  drew  near,  and  knew  it  was  their  mother,  whom  Stone  Shirt 
had  stolen  from  Si-kor',  the  crane.  They  told  her  they  were  her  sons,  but 
she  denied  it,  and  said  she  had  never  had  but  one  son;  but  the  boys  related 


THE  SO-KUS  WALW-ATS  TRIUMPHANT.  121 

to  her  their  history,  with  the  origin  of  the  two  from  one,  and  she  was  con 
vinced.  She  tried  to  dissuade  them  from  making  war  upon  Stone  Shirt,  and 
told  them  that  no  arrow  could  possibly  penetrate  his  armor,  and  that  he 
was  a  great  warrior,  and  had  no  other  delight  than  in  killing  his  enemies, 
and  that  his  daughters  also  were  furnished  with  magical  bows  and  arrows, 
which  they  could  shoot  so  fast  that  the  arrows  would  fill  the  air  like  a  cloud, 
and  that  it  was  not  necessary  for  them  to  take  aim,  for  their  missiles  went 
where  they  willed;  they  thought  the  arrows  to  the  hearts  of  their  enemies; 
and  thus  the  maidens  could  kill  the  whole  of  the  people  before  a  common 
arrow  could  be  shot  by  a  common  person.  But  the  boys  told  her  what  the 
spirit  had  said  in  the  long  dream,  and  had  promised  that  Stone  Shirt  should 
be  killed.  They  told  her  to  go  down  to  the  lake  at  dawn,  so  as  not  to  be 
endangered  by  the  battle. 

During  the  night,  the  So' -1ms  Wai'-un-ats  transformed  themselves  into 
mice,  and  proceeded  to  the  home  of  Stone  Shirt,  and  found  the  magical  bows 
and  aiTows  that  belonged  to  the  maidens,  and  with  their  sharp  teeth  they  cut 
the  sinew  on  the  backs  of  the  bows,  and  nibbled  the  bow  strings,  so  that 
they  were  worthless;  while  To-go'-av  hid  himself  under  a  rock  near  by. 

When  dawn  came  into  the  sky,  Tum-pwi-nai'-ro-gwi-nump,  the  Stone 
Shirt  man,  arose  and  walked  out  of  his  tent,  exulting  in  his  strength  and 
security,  and  sat  down  upon  the  rock  under  which  To-go'-av  was  hiding;  and 
he,  seeing  his  opportunity,  sunk  his  fangs  into  the  flesh  of  the  hero.  Stone 
Shirt  sprang  high  into  the  air,  and  called  to  his  daughters  that  they  were 
betrayed,  and  that  the  enemy  was  near;  and  they  seized  their  magical  bows, 
and  their  quivers  filled  with  magical  arrows,  and  hurried  to  his  defense. 
At  the  same  time,  all  the  nations  who  were  surrounding  the  camp  rushed 
down  to  battle.  But  the  beautiful  maidens,  finding  their  weapons  were 
destroyed,  waved  back  their  enemies,  as  if  they  would  parley;  and,  stand 
ing  for  a  few  moments  over  the  body  of  their  slain  father,  sang  the  death 
song,  and  danced  the  death  dance,  whirling  in  giddy  circles  about  the  dead 
hero,  and  wailing  with  despair,  until  they  sank  down  and  expired. 

The  conquerors  buried  the  maidens  by  the  shores  of  the  lake;   but 
Tum-pwi-nai' -ro-gwi-nump  was  left  to  rot,  and  his  bones  to  bleach  on  the 
sands,  as  he  had  left  Si-kor'. 
16  COL, 


122  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

There  is  this  proverb  among-  the  Utes:  "Do  not  murmur  when  you 
suffer  in  doing  what  the  spirits  have  commanded,  for  a  cup  of  water  is  pro 
vided."  And  another:  "What  matters  it  who  kills  the  game,  when  we  can 
all  eat  of  it." 

It  is  long  after  midnight  when  the  performance  is  ended.  The  story 
itself  was  interesting,  though  I  had  heard  it  many  times  before;  but  never, 
perhaps,  under  circumstances  more  effective.  Stretched  beneath  tall,  som 
bre  pines;  a  great  camp  fire,  and  by  the  fire,  men,  old,  wrinkled,  and  ugly; 
deformed,  blear  eyed,  wry  faced  women;  lithe,  stately  young  men;  pretty 
but  simpering  maidens,  naked  children,  all  intently  listening,  or  laughing 
and  talking  by  times,  their  strange  faces  and  dusky  forms  lit  up  with  the 
glare  of  the  pine-knot  fire.  All  the  circumstances  conspired  to  make  it  a 
scene  strange  and  weird.  One  old  man,  the  sorcerer  or  medicine-man  of  the 
tribe,  peculiarly  impressed  me.  Now  and  then  he  would  interrupt  the  play 
for  the  purpose  of  correcting  the  speakers,  or  impressing  the  moral  of  the 
story  with  a  strange  dignity  and  impressiveness  that,  seemed  to  pass  to  the 
very  border  of  the  ludicrous;  yet  at  no  time  did  it  make  me  smile. 

The  story  is  finished,  but  there  is  yet  time  for  an  hour  or  two's  sleep. 
I  take  Chu-ar' -ru-um-peak  to  one  side  for  a  talk.  The  three  men  who  left 
us  in  the  canon  last  year  found  their  way  up  the  lateral  gorge,  by  which 
they  went  into  the  SM'-vwits  Mountains,  lying  west  of  us,  where  they  met 
with  the  Indians,  and  camped  with  them  one  or  two  nights,  and  were  finally 
killed.  I  am  anxious  to  learn  the  circumstances,  and  as  the  people  of  the 
tribe  who  committed  the  deed  live  but  a  little  way  from  and  are  intimate 
with  these  people,  I  ask  Chu-ar' -ru-um-peak  to  make  inquiry  for  me.  Then 
we  go  to  bed. 

September  17. — Early  this  morning  the  Indians  come  up  to  our  camp. 
They  have  concluded  to  send  out  a  young  man  after  the  Shi' -v wits.  The 
runner  fixes  his  moccasins,  puts  some  food  in  a  sack  and  water  in  a  little 
wicker  work  jug,  straps  them  on  his  back,  and  starts  at  a  good  round  pace. 

We  have  concluded  to  go  down  the  canon,  hoping  to  meet  the  Shi'- 
vwits  on  our  return.  Soon  we  are  ready  to  start,  leaving  the  camp  and  pack 
animals  in  charge  of  the  two  Indians  who  came  with  us.  As  we  move  out, 
our  new  guide  conies  up,  a  blear  eyed,  weazen  faced,  quiet  old  man,  with 


Figure  44. — An'-ti-naints,  Pu-tu'-siv,  and  Wi'-chuts. 


Figure  45. — The  Human  Pickle. 


A  DIFFICULT  WAY.  123 

Iris  bow  and  arrows  in  one  hand,  and  a  small  cane  in  the  other.  These 
Indians  all  cany  canes  with  a  crooked  handle,  they  say  to  kill  rattlesnakes, 
and  to  pull  rabbits  from  their  holes.  The  valley  is  high  up  in  the  mountain, 
and  we  descend  from  it,  by  a  rocky,  precipitous  trail,  down,  down,  down 
for  two  long,  weary  hours,  leading  our  ponies  and  stumbling  over  the  rocks. 
At  last  we  are  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  standing  on  a  little  knoll,  from 
which  we  can  look  into  a  canon  below.  Into  this  we  descend,  and  then  we 
follow  it  for  miles,  clambering  down  and  still  down.  Often  we  cross  beds 
of  lava,  that  have  been  poured  into  the  canon  by  lateral  channels,  and  these 
angular  fragments  of  basalt  make  the  way  very  rough  for  the  animals. 
About  two  o'clock  the  guide  halts  us  with  his  wand,  and  springing  over  the 
rocks  he  is  lost  in  a  gulch.  In  a  few  minutes  he  returns,  and  tells  us  there 
is  a  little  water  below  in  a  pocket.  It  is  vile  and  stinking,  and  our  ponies 
refuse  to  drink  it.  We  pass  on,  still  ever  descending.  A  mile  or  two  from 
the  water  basin  we  come  to  a  precipice,  more  than  a  thousand  feet  to  the 
bottom.  There  is  a  canon  running  at  a  greater  depth,  and  at  right  angles 
to  this,  into  which  this  enters  by  the  precipice;  and  this  second  canon  is  a 
lateral  one  to  the  greater  one,  in  the  bottom  of  which  we  are  to  find  the 
river.  Searching  about,  we  find  a  way  by  which  we  can  descend  along  the 
shelves,  and  steps,  and  piles  of  broken  rocks. 

We  start  leading  our  ponies;  a  wall  upon  our  left;  unknown  depths  on 
our  right.  At  places  our  way  is  along  shelves  so  narrow,  or  so  sloping,  that 
I  ache  with  fear  lest  a  pony  should  make  a  misstep,  and  knock  a  man  over 
the  cliffs  with  him.  Now  and  then  we  start  the  loose  rocks  under  our  feet, 
and  over  the  cliffs  they  go,  thundering  down,  down,  as  the  echoes  roll 
through  distant  canons.  At  last  we  pass  along  a  level  shelf  for  some  dis 
tance,  then  we  turn  to  the  right,  and  zigzag  down  a  steep  slope  to  the  bottom. 
Now  we  pass  along  this  lower  canon,  for  two  or  three  miles,  to  where  it 
terminates  in  the  Grand  Canon,  as  the  other  ended  in  this,  only  the  river  is 
1,800  feet  below  us,  and  it  seems,  at  this  distance,  to  be  but  a  creek.  Our 
withered  guide,  the  human  pickle,  seats  himself  on  a  rock,  and  seems  won 
derfully  amused  at  our  discomfiture,  for  we  can  see  no  way  by  which  to 
descend  to  the  river.  After  some  minutes,  he  quietly  rises,  and,  beckoning 
us  to  follow,  he  points  out  a  narrow  sloping  shelf  on  the  right,  and  this  is  to  be 


124  EXPLORATION  OP  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

our  way.  It  leads  along  the  cliff,  for  half  a  mile,  to  a  wider  bench  beyond, 
which,  he  says,  is  broken  down  on  the  other  side  in  a  great  slide,  and  there 
we  can  get  to  the  river.  So  we  start  out  on  the  shelf;  it  is  so  steep  we  can 
hardly  stand  on  it,  and  to  fall,  or  slip,  is  to  go — don't  look  and  see! 

It  is  soon  manifest  that  we  cannot  get  the  ponies  along  the  ledge.  The 
storms  have  washed  it  down,  since  our  guide  was  here  last,  years  ago.  One 
of  the  ponies  has  gone  so  far  that  we  cannot  turn  him  back  until  we  find  a 
wider  place,  but  at  last  we  get  him  off.  With  part  of  the  men,  I  take  the 
horses  back  to  the  place  where  there  are  a  few  bushes  growing,  and  turn 
them  loose;  in  the  mean  time  the  other  men  are  looking  for  some  way  by 
which  we  can  get  down  to  the  river.  When  I  return,  one,  Captain  Bishop, 
has  found  a  way,  and  gone  down.  We  pack  bread,  coffee,  sugar,  and  two 
or  three  blankets  among  us,  and  set  out.  It  is  now  nearly  dark,  and  we 
cannot  find  the  way  by  which  the  captain  went,  and  an  hour  is  spent  in 
fruitless  search.  Two  of  the  men  go  away  around  an  amphitheater,  more 
than  a  fourth  of  a  mile,  and  start  down  a  broken  chasm  that  faces  us,  who 
are  behind.  These  walls,  that  are  vertical,  or  nearly  so,  are  often  cut  by 
chasms,  where  the  showers  run  down,  and  the  top  of  these  chasms  will  be 
back  a  distance  from  the  face  of  the  wall,  and  the  bed  of  the  chasm  will 
slope  down,  with  here  and  there  a  fall.  At  other  places,  huge  rocks  have 
fallen,  and  block  the  way.  Down  such  a  one  the  two  men  start.  There  is 
a  curious  plant  growing  out  from  the  crevices  of  the  rock.  A  dozen  stems 
will  start  from  one  root,  and  grow  to  the  length  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  and  not 
throw  out  a  branch  or  twig,  but  these  stems  are  thickly  covered  with  leaves. 
Now  and  then  the  two  men  come  to  a  bunch  of  dead  stems,  and  make 
a  fire  to  mark  for  us  their  way  and  progress. 

In  the  mean  time  we  find  such  a  gulch,  and  start  down,  but  soon  come 
to  the  "jumping  off  place,"  where  we  can  throw  a  stone,  and  hear  it  faintly 
striking,  away  below.  We  fear  that  we  shall  have  to  stay  here,  clinging  to 
the  rocks  until  daylight.  Our  little  Indian  gathers  a  few  dry  stems,  ties  them 
into  a  bundle,  lights  one  end,  and  holds  it  up.  The  others  do  the  same,  and 
with  these  torches  we  find  a  way  out  of  trouble.  Helping  each  other,  hold 
ing  torches  for  each  other,  one  clinging  to  another's  hand  until  we  can  get 
footing,  then  supporting  the  other  on  his  shoulders,  so  we  make  our  passage 


AT  THE  SIDE  OF  THE  COLORADO.  125 

into  the  depths  of  the  canon.  And  now  Captain  Bishop  has  kindled  a  huge 
fire  of  driftwood,  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  This,  and  the  fires  in  the  gulch 
opposite,  and.  our  own  flaming  torches,  light  up  little  patches,  that  make 
more  manifest  the  awful  darkness  below.  Still,  on  we  go,  for  an  hour  or 
two,  and  at  last  we  see  Captain  Bishop  coming  up  the  gulch,  with  a  huge 
torch-light  on  his  shoulders.  He  looks  like  a  fiend,  waving  brands  and  light 
ing  the  fires  of  hell,  and  the  men  in  the  opposite  gulch  are  imps,  lighting 
delusive  fires  in  inaccessible  crevices,  over  yawning  chasms;  our  own  little 
Indian  is  surely  the  king  of  wizards,  so  I  think,  as  I  stop  for  a  few  moments 
on  a  rock  to  rest.  At  last  we  meet  Captain  Bishop,  with  his  flaming  torch, 
and,  as  he  has  learned  the  way,  he  soon  pilots  us  to  the  side  of  the  great 
Colorado.  We  are  hungry  and  athirst,  almost-  to  starvation.  Here  we  lie 
down  on  the  rocks  and  drink,  just  a  mouthful  or  so,  as  we  dare;  then  we 
make  a  cup  of  coffee,  and,  spreading  our  blankets  on  a  sand  beach,  the 
roaring  Colorado  lulls  us  to  sleep. 

September  18. — We  are  in  the  Grand  Canon,  by  the  side  of  the  Col 
orado,  more  than  six  thousand  feet  below  our  camp  on  the  mountain  side, 
which  is  eighteen  miles  away;  but  the  miles  of  horizontal  distance  represent 
but  a  small  part  of  the  days'  labor  before  us.  It  is  the  mile  of  altitude  we 
must  gain  that  makes  it  a  herculean  task.  We  are  up  early;  a  little  bread 
and  coffee,  and  we  look  about  us.  Our  conclusion  is,  that  we  can  make 
this  a  deJDot  of  supplies,  should  it  be  necessary;  that  we  can  pack  our  rations 
to  the  point  where  we  left  our  animals  last  night,  and  that  we  can  employ 
Indians  to  bring  them  down  to  the  water's  edge. 

On  a  broad  shelf,  we  find  the  ruins  of  an  old  stone  house,  the  walls  of 
which  are  broken  down,  and  we  can  see  where  the  ancient  people  who  lived 
here — a  race  more  highly  civilized  than  the  present — had  made  a  garden, 
and  used  a  great  spring,  that  comes  out  of  the  rocks,  for  irrigation.  On 
some  rocks  near  by  we  discover  some  curious  etchings.  Still,  searching 
about,  we  find  an  obscure  trail  up  the  canon  wall,  marked,  here  and  there, 
by  steps  which  have  been  built  in  the  loose  rock,  elsewhere  hewn  stairways, 
and  we  find  a  much  easier  way  to  go  up  than  that  by  which  we  came  down 
in  the  darkness  last  night.  Coming  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  we  catch  our 
horses,  and  start.  Up  the  canon  our  jaded  ponies  toil,  and  we  reach  the 


126  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

second  cliff;  np  this  we  go,  by  easy  stages,  leading  the  animals.  Now  we 
reach  the  stinking  water  pocket;  our  ponies  have  had  no  water  for  thirty 
hours,  and  are  eager  even  for  this  foul  fluid.  We  carefully  strain  a  kettleful 
for  ourselves,  then  divide  what  is  left  between  them — two  or  three  gallons  for 
each;  but  this  does  not  satisfy  them,  and  they  rage  around,  refusing  to  eat 
the  scanty  grass. .  We  boil  our  kettle  of  water,  and  skim  it;  straining,  boil 
ing,  and  skimming  makes  it  a  little  better,  for  it  was  full  of  loathsome,  wrig 
gling  larvae,  with  huge  black  heads.  But  plenty  of  coffee  takes  away  the 
bad  smell,  and  so  modifies  the  taste  that  most  of  us  can  drink,  though  our 
little  Indian  seems  to  prefer  the  original  mixture.  We  reach  camp  about 
sunset,  and  are  glad  to  rest. 

September  19. — We  are  tired  and  sore,  and  must  rest  a  day  with  our 
Indian  neighbors.  During  the  inclement  season  they  live  in  shelters,  made 
of  boughs,  or  bark  of  the  cedar,  which  they  strip  off  in  long  shreds.  In 
this  climate,  most  of  the  year  is  dry  and  warm,  and  during  such  time  they 
do  not-  care  for  shelter.  Clearing  a  small,  circular  space  of  ground,  they 
bank  it  around  with  brush  and  sand,  and  wallow  in  it  during  the  day,  and 
huddle  together  in  a  heap  at  night,  men,  women,  and  children;  buckskin, 
rags,  and  sand.  They  wear  very  little  clothing,  not  needing  much  in  this 
lovely  climate. 

Altogether,  these  Indians  are  more  nearly  in  their  primitive  condition 
than  any  others  on  the  continent  with  whom  I  am  acquainted.  They  have 
never  received  anything  from  the  Government,  and  are  too  poor  to  tempt 
the  trader,  and  their  country  is  so  nearly  inaccessible  that  the  white  man 
never  visits  them.  The  sunny  mountain  side  is  covered  with  wild  fruits,  nuts, 
and  native  grains,  upon  which  they  subsist.  The  oose,  the  fruit  of  the  yucca, 
or  Spanish  bayonet,  is  rich,  and  not  unlike  the  paw-paw  of  the  valley  of 
the  Ohio.  They  eat  it  raw,  and  also  roast  it  in  the  ashes.  They  gather  the 
fruits  of  a  cactus  plant,  which  is  rich  and  luscious,  and  eat  them  as  grapes, 
or  from  them  express  the  juice,  making  the  dry  pulp  into  cakes,  and  saving 
them  for  winter;  the  wine  they  drink  about  their  camp  fires,  until  the  mid 
night  is  merry  with  their  revelries.  " 

They  gather  the  seeds  of  many  plants,  as  sunflowers,  golden  rods,  and 
grasses.  For  this  purpose,  they  have  large  conical  baskets,  which  hold  two 


HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS.  127 

or  more  bushels.  The  women  carry  them  on  their  backs,  suspended  from 
their  foreheads  by  broad  straps,  and  with  a  smaller  one  in  the  left  hand,  and 
a  willow  woven  fan  in  the  right,  they  walk  among  the  grasses,  and  sweep 
the  seed  into  the  smaller  basket,  which  is  emptied,  now  and  then,  into  the 
larger,  until  it  is  full  of  seeds  and  chaff;  then  they  winnow  out  the  chaff 
and  roast  the  seeds.  They  roast  these  curiously ;  they  put  the  seeds,  with  a 
quantity  of  red  hot  coals,  into  a  willow  tray,  and,  by  rapidly  and  dexter 
ously  shaking  and  tossing  them,  keep  the  coals  aglow,  and  the  seeds  and 
tray  from  burning.  As  if  by  magic,  so  skilled  are  the  crones  in  this  work, 
they  roll  the  seeds  to  one  side  of  the  tray,  as  they  are  roasted,  and  the  coals 
to  the  other.  Then  they  grind  the  seeds  into  a  fine  flour,  and  make  it  into 
cakes  and  mush.  It  is  a  merry  sight,  sometimes,  to  see  the  women  grinding 
at  the  mill.  For  a  mill,  they  use  a  large  flat  rock,  lying  on  the  ground,  and 
another  small  cylindrical  one  in  their  hands.  They  sit  prone  on  the  ground, 
hold  the  large  flat  rock  between  the  feet  and  legs,  then  fill  their  laps  with 
seeds,  making  a  hopper  to  the  mill  with  their  dusky  legs,  and  grind  by  push 
ing  the  seeds  across  the  larger  rock,  where  it  drops  into  a  tray.  I  have  seen 
a  group  of  women  grinding  together,  keeping  time  to  a  chant,  or  gossiping 
and  chatting,  while  the  younger  lassies  would  jest  and  chatter,  and  make 
the  pine  woods  merry  with  their  laughter.  Mothers  carry  their  babes  curi 
ously  in  baskets.  They  make  a  wicker  board,  by  plaiting  willows,  and  sew 
a  buckskin  cloth  to  either  edge,  and  this  is  fulled  in  the  middle,  so  as  to  form 
a  sack,  closed  at  the  bottom.  At  the  top,  they  make  a  wicker  shade,  like 
"my  grandmother's  sun  bonnet,"  and,  wrapping  the  little  one  in  a  wild  cat 
robe,  place  it  in  the  basket,  and  this  they  carry  on  their  backs,  strapped  over 
the  forehead,  and  the  little  brown  midgets  are  ever  peering  over  their  moth 
er's  shoulders.  In  camp,  they  stand  the  basket  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree, 
or  hang  it  to  a  limb. 

There  is  little  game  in  the  country,  yet  they  get  a  mountain  sheep  now 
and  then,  or  a  deer,  with  their  arrows,  for  they  are  not  yet  supplied  with 
guns.  They  get  many  rabbits,  sometimes  with  arrows,  sometimes  with  nets. 
They  make  a  net  of  twine,  made  of  the  fibers  of  a  native  flax.  Sometimes 
this  is  made  a  hundred  yards  in  length,  and  is  placed  in  a  half  circular  posi 
tion,  with  wings  of  sage  brush.  They  have  a  circle  hunt,  and  drive  great  num.- 


128  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

bers  of  rabbits  into  the  snare,  where  they  are  shot  with  arrows.  Most  of  their 
bows  are  made  of  cedar,  but  the  best  are  made  of  the  horns  of  mountain  sheep. 
These  are  taken,  soaked  in  water,  until  quite  soft,  cut  into  long  thin  strips, 
and  glued  together,  and  are  then  quite  elastic.  During  the  autumn,  grass 
hoppers  are  very  abundant.  When  cold  weather  sets  in,  these  insects  are 
numbed,  and  can  be  gathered  by  the  bushel.  At  such  a  time,  they  dig  a 
hole  in  the  sand,  heat  stones  in  a  fire  near  by,  put  some  in  the  bottom  of 
the  hole,  put  on  a  layer  of  grasshoppers,  then  a  layer  of  hot  stones,  and 
continue  this,  until  they  put  bushels  on  to  roast.  There  they  are  left  until 
cool,  when  they  are  taken  out,  thoroughly  dried,  and  ground  into  meal. 
Grasshopper  gruel,  or  grasshopper  cake,  is  a  great  treat. 

Their  lore  consists  in  a  mass  of  traditions,. or  mythology.  It  is  very 
difficult  to  induce  them  to  tell  it  to  white  men;  but  the  old  Spanish  priests, 
in  the  days  of  the  conquest  of  New  Mexico,  have  spread  among  the  Indians 
of  this  country  many  Bible  stories,  which  the  Indians  are  usually  willing  to 
tell.  It  is  not  always  easy  to  recognize  them,  the  Indian  mind  being  a 
strange  receptacle  for  such  stories,  and  they  are  apt  to  sprout  new  limbs. 
May  be  much  of  their  added  quaintness  is  due  to  the  way  in  which  they 
were  told  by  the  "  fathers."  But  in  a  confidential  way,  while  you  are  alone, 
or  when  you  are  admitted  to  their  camp  fire  on  a  winter  night,  you  will  hear 
the  storied  of  their  mythology.  I  believe  that  the  greatest  mark  of  friend 
ship,  or  confidence,  that  an  Indian  can  give,  is  to  tell  you  his  religion. 
After  one  has  so  talked  with  me,  I  should  ever  trust  him;  and  I  feel  on  very 
good  terms  with  these  Indians,  since  our  experience  of  the  other  night. 

A  knowledge  of  the  watering  places,  and  of  the  trails  and  passes,  is 
considered  of  great  importance,  and  is  necessary,  to  give  standing  to  a  chief. 

This  evening,  the  Shi'-vwits,  for  whom  we  have  sent,  come  in,  and,  after 
supper,  we  hold  a  long  council.  A  blazing  fire  is  built,  and  around  this  we 
sit — the  Indians  living  here,  the  Ski'-vwits,  Jacob  Hamblin,  and  myself. 
This  man,  Hamblin,  speaks  their  language  well,  and  has  a  great  influence 
over  all  the  Indians  in  the  region  round  about.  He  is  a  silent,  reserved  man, 
and  when  he  speaks,  it  is  in  a  slow,  quiet  way,  that  inspires  great  awe.  His 
talk  is  so  low  that  they  must  listen  attentively  to  hear,  and  they  sit  around 
him  in  deathlike  silence.  When  he  finishes  a  measured  sentence,  the  chief 


Figure  46. — Indians  gambling. 


A  TALK  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  129 

repeats  it,  and  they  all  give  a  solemn  grunt  But,  first,  I  fill  my  pipe,  light 
it,  and  take  a  few  whiffs,  then  pass  it  to  Hamblin;  he  smokes,  and  gives  it 
to  the  man  next,  and  so  it  goes  around.  When  it  has  passed  the  chief,  he 
takes  out  his  own  pipe,  fills,  and  lights  it,  and  passes  it  around  after  mine. 
I  can  smoke  my  own  pipe  in  turn,  but,  when  the  Indian  pipe  comes  around,  I 
am  nonplussed.  It  has  a  large ^tem,  which  has,  at  some  time,  been  broken, 
and  now  there  is  a  buckskin  rag  wound  around  it,  and  tied  with  sinew,  so 
that  the  end  of  the  stem  is  a  huge  mouthful,  and  looks  like  the  burying 
ground  of  old  dead  spittle,  venerable  for  a  century.  To  gain  time,  I  refill 
it,  then  engage  in  very  earnest  conversation,  and,  all  unawares,  I  pass  it  to 
my  neighbor  unlighted. 

I  tell  the  Indians  that  I  wish  to  spend  some  months  in  their  country 
during  the  coming  year,  and  that  I  would  like  them  to  treat  me  as  a  friend. 
I  do  not  wish  to- trade;  do  not  want  their  lands.  Heretofore  I  have  found 
it  very  difficult  to  make  the  natives  understand  my  object,  but  the  gravity 
of  the  Mormon  missionary  helps  me  much.  I  tell  them  that  all  the  great 
and  good  white  men  are  anxious  to  know  very  many  things ;  that  they  spend 
much  time  in  learning,  and  that  the  greatest  man  is  he  who  knows  the  most. 
They  want  to  know  all  about  the  mountains  and  the  valleys,  the  rivers  and 
the  canons,  the  beasts,  and  birds,  and  snakes.  Then  I  tell  them  of  many 
Indian  tribes,  and  where  they  live;  of  the  European  nations;  of  the  Chi 
nese,  of  Africans,  and  all  the  strange  things  about  them  that  come  to  my 
mind.  I  tell  them  of  the  ocean,  of  great  rivers  and  high  mountains,  of 
strange  beasts  and  birds.  At  last  I  tell  them  I  wish  to  learn  about  their 
canons  and  mountains,  and  about  themselves,  to  tell  other  men  at  home;  and 
that  I  want  to  take  pictures  of  everything,  and  show  them  to  my  friends 
All  this  occupied  much  time,  and  the  matter  and  manner  made  a  deep 
impression. 

Then  their  chief  replies:  "Your  talk  is  good,  and  we  believe  what  you 
say.  We  believe  in  Jacob,  and  look  upon  you  as  a  father.  When  you  are 
hungry,  you  may  have  our  game.  You  may  gather  our  sweet  fruits.  We 
will  give  you  food  when  you  come  to  our  land.  We  will  show  you  the 
springs,  and  you  may  drink;  the  water  is  good.  We  will  be  friends,  and 
when  you  come  we  will  be  glad.  We  will  tell  the  Indians  who  live  on  the 
17  COL 


130  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

other  side  of  the  great  river  that  we  have  seen  Ka'-pu-rats,  and  he  is  the 
Indians'  friend.  We  will  tell  them  he  is  Jacob's  friend.  We  are  very  poor. 
Look  at  our  women  and  children;  they  are  naked.  We  have  no  horses; 
we  climb  the  rocks,  and  our  feet  are  sore.  We  live  among  rocks,  and  they 
yield  little  food  and  many  thorns.  When  the  cold  moons  come,  our  chil 
dren  are  hungry.  We  have  not  much  to  give ;  you  must  not  think  us  mean. 
You  are  wise;  we  have  heard  you  tell  strange  things.  We  are  ignorant. 
Last  year  we  killed  three  white  men.  Bad  men  said  they  were  our  enetnies. 
They  told  great  lies.  We  thought  them  true.  We  were  mad;  it  made  us 
big  fools.  We  are  very  sorry.  Do  not  think  of  them,  it  is  done;  let  us  be 
friends.  We  are  ignorant — like  little  children  in  understanding  compared 
with  you.  When  we  do  wrong,  do  not  get  mad,  and  be  like  children  too. 

"When  white  men  kill  our  people,  we  kill  them.  Then  they  kill  more 
of  us.  It  is  not  good.  We  hear  that  the  white  men  are  a  great  number. 
When  they  stop  killing  us,  there  will  be  no  Indian  left  to  bury  the  dead. 
We  love  our  country;  we  know  not  other  lands.  We  hear  that  other  lands 
are  better;  we  do  not  know.  The  pines  sing,  and  w.e  are  glad.  Our  chil 
dren  play  in  the  warm  sand;  we  hear  them  sing,  and  are  glad.  The  seeds 
ripen,  and  we  have  to  eat,  and  we  are  glad.  We  do  not  want  their  good 
lands ;  we  want  our  rocks,  and  the  great  mountains  where  our  fathers  lived. 
We  are  very  poor;  we  are  very  ignorant;  but  we  are  very  honest.  You 
have  horses,  and  many  things.  You  are  very  wise ;  you  have  a  good  heart. 
We  will  be  friends.  Nothing  more  have  I  to  say." 

Ka'  -pu-rats  is  the  name  by  which  I  am  known  among  the  Utes  and 
Shoshones,  meaning  "arm  off."  There  was  much  more  repetition  than  I 
have  given,  and  much  emphasis.  After  this  a  few  presents  were  given,  we 
shook  hands,  and  the  council  broke  up. 

Mr.  Hamblin  fell  into  conversation  with  one  of  the  men,  and  held  him 
until  the  others  had  left,  and  then  learned  more  of  the  particulars  of  the 
death  of  the  three  men.  They  came  upon  the  Indian  village  almost  starved 
and  exhausted  with  fatigue.  They  were  supplied  with  food,  and  put  on 
their  way  to  the  settlements.  Shortly  after  they  had  left,  an  Indian  from 
the  east  side  of  the  Colorado  arrived  at  their  village,  and  told  them  about  a 
number  of  miners>having  killed  a  squaw  in  drunken  brawl,  and  no  doubt 


MOUNT  TEUMBULL.  131 

these  were  the  men.  No  person  had  ever  come  down  the  canon;  that  was 
impossible ;  they  were  trying'  to  hide  their  guilt.  In  this  way  he  worked 
them  into  a -great  rage.  They  followed,  surrounded  the  men  in  ambush,  and 
filled  them  full  of  arrows. 

That  night  I  slept  in  peace,  although  these  murderers  of  my  men,  and 
their  friends,  the  U-in-ka-rets,  were  sleeping  not  five  hundred  yards  away. 
While  we  were  gone  to  the  canon,  the  pack-train  and  supplies,  enough  to 
make  an  Indian  rich  beyond  his  wildest  dreams,  were  all  left  in  their  charge, 
and  were  all  safe;  not  even  a  lump  of  sugar  was  pilfered  by  the  children. 

September  20. — For  several  days  we  have  been  discussing  the  relative 
merits  of  several  names  for  these  mountains.  The  Indians  call  them  U-in- 
Jca-rets,  the  region  of  pines,  and  we  adopt  the  name.  The  great  mountain 
we  call  Mount  Trumbull,  in  honor  of  the  Senator.  To  day  the  train  starts 
back  to  the  canon  water  pocket,  while  Captain  Bishop  and  I  climb  Mount 
Trumbull.  On  our  way  we  pass  the  point  that  was  the  last  opening  to  the 
volcano. 

It  seems  but  a  few  years  since  the  last  flood  of  fire  swept  the  valley. 
Between  two  rough,  conical  hills  it  poured,  and  run  down  the  valley  to  the 
foot  of  a  mountain  standing  almost  at  the  lower  end,  then  parted,  and  ran 
on  either  side  of  the  mountain.  This  last  overflow  is  very  plainly  marked; 
there  is  soil,  with  trees  and  grass,  to  the  very  edge  of  it,  on  a  more  ancient, 
bed.  The  flood  was  everywhere  on  its  border  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  in 
height,  terminating  abruptly,  and  looking  like  a  wall  from  below.  On  cool 
ing,  it  shattered  into  fragments,  but  these  are  still  in  place,  and  you  can  see 
the  outlines  of  streams  and  waves.  So  little  time  has  elapsed  since  it  ran 
down,  that  the  elements  have  not  weathered  a  soil,  and  there  is  scarcely  any 
vegetation  on  it,  but  here  and  there  a  lichen  is  found.  And  yet,  so  long  ago 
was  it  poured  from  the  depths,  that  where  ashes  and  cinders  have  collected 
in  a  few  places,  some  huge  cedars  have  grown.  Near  the  crater  the  frozen 
waves  of  black  basalt  are  rent  with  deep  fissures,  transverse  to  the  direction 
of  the  flow.  Then  we  ride  through  a  cedar  forest,  up  a  long  ascent,  until 
we  come  to  cliffs  of  columnar  basalt.  Here  we  tie  our  horses,  and  prepare 
for  a  climb  among  the  columns.  Through  crevices  we  work,  till  at  last  we 
are  on  the  mountain,  a  thousand  acres  of  pine  land  spread  out  before  us, 


132  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

gently  rising  to  the  other  edge.  There  are  two  peaks  on  the  mountain. 
We  walked  two  miles  to  the  foot  of  the  one  looking  to  be  the  highest,  then 
a'iong,  hard  climb  to  its  summit.  And  here,  oh,  what  a  view  is  before  us! 
A  "vision  of  glory!  Peaks  of  lava  all  around  below  us.  The  Vermilion 
Cliffs  to  the  north,  with  their  splendor  of  colors;  the  Pine  Valley  Mountain 
to -the  northwest,  clothed  in  mellow,  perspective  haze;  unnamed  mountains 
to  the  southwest,  towering  over  canons,  bottomless  to  my  peering  gaze,  like 
chasms  to  the  nadir  hell;  and  away  beyond,  the  San  Francisco  Mountains, 
lifting  their  black  heads  into  the  heavens.  We  find  our  way  down  the 
mountain,  reaching  the  trail  made  by  the  pack-train  just  at  dusk,  and  fol 
low  it  through  the  dark  until  we  see  the  camp-fire — a  welcome  sight. 

,  Two  days  more,  and  we  are  at  Pipe  Spring;  one  day,  and  we  are  at 
Kanab.  Eight  miles  above  the  town  is  a  canon,  on  either  side  of  which  is 
a  group  of  lakes.  Four  of  these  are  in  caves,  where  the  sun  never  shines. 
By  the  side  of  one  of  these  I  sit,  the  crystal  waters  at  my  feet,  at  which  I 
may  drink  at  will. 


Figure  47.— Cave  Lake  in  Kanab  Canon. 


CHAPTER    X. 

N^ 

REPORT    ON   A    TRIP    TO    THE    MOUTH    OF    THE   DIRTY   DEVIL    RIVER. 


By  A.  H.  THOMPSON. 


KANAB,  UTAH  TER.,  July  30,  1872. 

SIR:  In  accordance  with  your  instructions,  I  proceeded,  in  the  latter  part 
of  May,  1872,  with  the  party  under  my  charge,  to  Kanab,  Utah  Territory, 
and  immediately  refitted  for  a  trip  to  the  junction  of  the  Colorado  and 
Dirty  Devil  Eivers,  having  in  view  the  double  object  of  exploring  the 
country,  and  bringing  the  boat  left,  in  October,  1871,  at  that  point,  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Paria  River. 

In  the  summer  of  1871,. a  small  party,  belonging  to  this  expedition, 
attempted  to  reach  the  junction  of  the  Colorado  and  Dirty  Devil  Rivers,  by 
proceeding  east  from  Glencove,  Utah  Territory;  but,  after  traveling  forty  or 
fifty  miles,  they  found  it  impossible  to  induce  their  Indian  guides  to  go  farther, 
and  impracticable  to  proceed  without  them,  so  the  attempt  was  abandoned. 

Soon  after,  another  party,  under  charge  of  Jacob  Hamblin,  attempted 
to  reach  the  same  point,  by  proceeding  in  a  northeast  direction  from  Kanab. 
They  discovered  the  head  waters  of  a  stream  flowing  in  an  easterly  direc 
tion  to  the  Colorado  River,  and  followed  its  course  a  hundred  miles,  and 
until  within  an  estimated  distance  of  ten  miles  from  its  mouth.  From  the 
volume  of  water  which  Mr.  Hamblin  represented  it  as  carrying,  its  length, 
and  general  course,  I  had  but  little  doubt  it  was  the  Dirty  Devil;  the  more 
especially  as,  on  our  voyage  down  the  Colorado,  we  had  discovered  the 
mouth  of  no  other  considerable  stream  between  the  junction  of  the  Grand 
and  Green  and  the  Paria.  From  the  report  of  the  same  party,  I  supposed 
no  serious  difficulties  would  be  encountered,  and  that  the  time  necessary  for 
the  round  trip  would  be  about  six  weeks,  including  that  occupied  by  the 
river  party  in  descending  the  Colorado  through  Glen  Canon  to  the-  mouth 


134  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOKADO. 

of  the  Paria  River.  As  re-organized,  my  party  consisted  of  S.  V.  Jones 
and  F.  S.  Dellenbuagh,  topographers;  J.  Fennemore,  photographic  artist, 
with  W.  C.  Powell  and  J.  K.  Killers,  assistants;  P.  Dodds,  W.  D.  Johnson, 
A.  Hattan,  and  Gr.  Adair,  packers  and  general  assistants. 

Our  preparations  being  completed,  we  left  Kanab  on  May  27,  1872, 
traveling  that  day  thirteen  miles,  in  a  northeast  direction.  At  first  our  way 
was  over  low,  sandy  ridges,  running  out  from  the  base  of  the  Vermilion  Cliffs. 

At  the  end  of  ten  miles,  we  entered  a  canon,  half  a  mile  wide,  cut 
through  the  Vermilien  Cliffs,  and  known  as  Johnson  Canon.  At  the  entrance 
the  walls  rose  1,000  feet,  but  rapidly  decreased  in  height,  so  that  at  our 
camp,  three  miles  above  its  mouth,  we  had  low,  rocky  hills  on  either  side. 

Our  course  from  Camp  No.  2  to  Camp  No.  3  was  nearly  north.  For 
six  miles  we  were  in  a  broad,  sandy  valley,  bounded  by  vertical  walls  of 
sandstone  on  the  east,  and  on  the  west  by  low,  rocky  hills,  that,  gradually 
rising,  form  the  northeast  slope  of  the  plateau  above  the  Vermilion  Cliffs. 

Six  miles  from  Camp  No.  2  we  entered  a  narrow  canon,  cut  through  the 
White  Cliffs.  At  the  entrance  it  is  half  a  mile  wide,  with  vertical  walls  one 
thousand  to  one  thousand  two  hundred  feet  high,  often  beautifully  arched 
in  bas  relief.  As  we  ascended,  the  canon  narrowed  to  fifty  feet,  its  floor 
rose  rapidly,  the  walls  grew  lower,  and  at  the  end  of  three  miles  we  came 
out  into  the  open  country,  near  the  Mormon  settlement  of  Skoompa,  hav 
ing  risen  1,098  feet  above  Kanab  settlement.  Here  we  made  a  camp,  and 
established  a  topographic  station  on  the  summit  of  a  near  hill. 

Toward  the  south,  between  Kanab  and  Skoompa,  the  country  is  trav 
ersed  by  two  lines  of  cliffs — the  Vermilion  and  White — having  a  general 
trend  north  55°  east,  and  presenting  bold,  vertical  faces  from  one  thousand 
two  hundred  to  one  thousand  five  hundred  feet  high.  Through  these  cliffs 
but  three  passes  were  known  between  the  Virgen  and  the  Paria  Rivers,  a 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  ten  miles.  The  first,  tha,t  known  as  the  Long 
Valley  Pass;  the  second,  up  the  Kanab  Creek;  the  third,  the  route  which 
we  followed.  From  the  very  brink,  or  crest,  of  these  cliffs,  the  surface  of 
the  country  slopes  back  at  an  angle  of  about  2°,  so  that  the  general  appear 
ance  is  that  of  terraces,  with  escarpments  fronting  southward  and  summits 
sloping  toward  the  north.  Scattered  over  these  declivities  are  fields  of  loose 


PAITNS-A'-GUNT  PLATEAU.  135 

sand,  with  continually  changing  boundaries,  in  some  places  burying  trees 
and  rocks;  in  others  heaped  in  huge  drifts. 

North  of  our  camp,  and  eight  miles  distant,  the  south  end  of  the  table 
land  known  as  the  Pauns-a'-gunt  Plateau  rose  to  an  altitude  which  we  deter 
mined  to  be  3,295  feet  above  our  camp,  or  about  nine  thousand  two  hundred 
feet  above  sea  level.  The  eastern  boundary  of  this  plateau  is  a  line  of 
cliffs,  having  a  general  trend  north  45°  east.  These  cliffs  show  in  the  dis 
tance  a  beautiful  pink  color,  and,  for  the  upper  2,000  feet,  present  bold, 
perpendicular  faces,  with  here  and  there  steep,  rocky  slopes.  From  the  foot 
of  these,  slopes  and  vertical  faces  long,  narrow  ridges  run  out  on  the  plain 
below.  Between  these  ridges  are  many  beautiful  valleys,  but  probably  the 
whole  country  is  too  much  elevated  for  permanent  settlement. 

From  Camp  No.  3  to  Camp  No.  4  our  course  was  northeast.  Camp 
No.  4  was  in  a  beautiful,  grassy  valley,  half  a  mile  wide  and  six  miles  long, 
lying  between  two  cedar  covered  ridges.  At  its  foot,  a  small  lake  stands  at 
the  entrance  of  a  narrow  cafion,  that  drains  the  valley,  and  cuts  its  way 
through  both  the  White  and  Vermilion  Cliffs,  furnishing,  as  we  determined 
by  exploration,  another  practicable  route  through  these  escarpments  to  the 
valley  connecting  the  Kanab  and  Paria  settlements. 

From  Camp  No.  4  to  Camp  No.  5  our  course  was  nearly  northeast. 
For  four  miles  we  passed  over  low,  grass  covered  ridges,  when  we  came  to 
the  blink  of  a  basin  like  region,  drained  by  the  head  waters  of  the  Paria 
River.  The  extension  of  the  White  Cliffs  to  the  east  forms  the  southern 
boundary  of  this  basin,  and  the  Pink  Cliffs  (forming  the  eastern  face  of  the 
Pauns-a'-gunt  Plateau,  and  here  swinging  in  a  great  curve  to  the  north)  the 
northern. 

From  underneath  the  cliffs  standing  around  the  northern  rim  of  this 
basin  many  springs  .burst  forth.  These  gather  at  first  into  five  considerable 
streams,  which,  uniting  near  the  southern  limit  of  the  basin,  form  the  Paria 
River,  and  cut  through  the  White  and  Vermilion  Cliffs  in  deep  canons.  In 
the  soft,  easily  eroded  rock  within  this  basin  each  of  these  five  streams  has 
cut  a  deep,  narrow  canon.  Literally,  hundreds  of  side  canons  are  tributary 
to  these.  Between  the  side  canons  stand  long,  narrow  mesas.  Sometimes 
the.  canon  is  cut  two  or  three  hundred  feet,  and  then,  in  its  floor,  a  still 


136  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

naiTOwer  canon,  often  as  deep  as  the  first,  will  be  found.  One  such  that  we 
followed  is  ten  miles  long,  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  feet  deep,  and  fre 
quently  not  more  than  ten  feet  wide  at  the  top. 

As  peculiar  as  the  canons,  are  the  mesas,  sometimes  miles  in  length, 
and  only  a  few  hundred  yards  in  width,  presenting  in  the  distance  the 
appearance  of  huge  knife  blades.  These  mesas  are  usually  covered  by  a 
loose,  sandy  soil,  though  occasionally  wide  surfaces  of  bare  rock  are  seen. 

Occasionally  the  canons  widen  into  little,  alcovelike  valleys,  a  few 
acres  in  extent,  rock  walled,  and  covered  by  dense  growths  of  grass,  canes, 
or  willows.  Travel  through  this  country  was  exceedingly  slow  and  difficult. 
Our  progress  was  often  barred  by  a  canon,  along  whose  brink  we  were 
compelled  to  follow,  till  some  broken  down  slope  afforded  a  way  to  descend, 
then  up  or  down  the  cafioii,  till  another  broken  slope  permitted  us  to  ascend, 
then  across  a  mesa  to  another  canon,  repeating  the  same  maneuver  a  dozen 
times  in  half  that  number  of  miles. 

After  a  laborious  day's  work  we  made  fifteen  miles,  and  camped  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Paria  River,  800  feet  below  Camp  No.  4,  and  at  an  alti 
tude  of  about  five  thousand  seven  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

From  Camp  No.  5  we  followed  up  the  Paria  River  to  its  junction  with 
Table  Cliff  Creek;  then  up  the  latter  to  its  source.  Here  we  climbed  a 
thousand  feet  up  a  steep,  clay  ridge,  having  an  average  slope  of  20°,  and 
often  not  more  than  five  feet  in  thickness  at  the  top,  to  the  head  of  a  narrow 
valley  called  Potato  Valley.  Down  this  we  traveled  three  miles,  and  made 
Camp  No.  6  at  a  cool  spring,  in  the  middle  of  a  beautiful  meadow,  1,500  feet 
above  our  camp  on  the  Paria  River,  and  about  seven  thousand  two  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea.  To  the  north,  and  three  miles  distant,  Table  Cliff  Pla 
teau  rose  3,000  feet  above  us,  its  face  a  succession  of  inaccessible  precipices, 
and  steep,  broken,  tree-clad  slopes.  From  the  base  of  the  cliffs,  long  ridges 
run  out  to  the  edge  of  the  valley.  To  the  east,  low,  rounded  hills  gradually 
rise  higher  and  higher,  till,  at  an  elevation  of  1,800  feet  above  camp,  they 
roll  off  into  a  long,  narrow  plateau,  bounded  on  the  west  by  a  well  marked 
line  of  cliffs,  beginning  near  the  foot  of  Table  Cliff  Plateau,  and  continuing 
southeast  sixty  miles,  to  a  point  on  the  Colorado  River  opposite  the  Navajo 
Mountain.  At  the  western  terminus  this  line  is  somewhat  broken,  but 


Figure  48. — Canon  in  Escalanti  Basin. 


POTATO  VALLEY.  137 

toward  the  east  it  increases  in  height,  till  at  last  it  stands  for  thirty  miles  an 
inaccessible,  vertical  wall,  2,500  feet  high.  Its  eastern  boundary  is  a  line  of 
cliffs,  commencing  at  the  foot  of  Potato  Valley,  and  presenting  an  almost 
unbroken  front  to  the  Colorado  River,  at  a  point  but  four  miles  above  the 
termirius  of  the  western  line,  thus  giving  to  the  plateau  a  trapezoidal  out 
line,  having  a  length  of  fifty  five"  miles,  a  breadth  at  the  base  of  fifteen,  at 
the  apex  of  four,  and  standing  at  an  altitude  of  9,000  feet  above  sea  level. 
For  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  the  western  end  is  cut  by  a  perfect  net  work  of 
canons  and  short  lines  of  cliffs,  making  travel  across  it  almost  impossible. 
The  middle  and  eastern  portions  are  quite  level,  and  when  once  on  the  sum 
mit  progress  in  any  direction  is  easy.  So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascer 
tain,  we  were  the  first  white  men  to  visit  the  plateau.  The  Indian  naine  for 
a  small  elevation  near  the  north  end  is  Kai-par'-o-wits,  so  we  called  the  whole 
plateau  by  that  name. 

Our  course  from  Camp  No.  6  was  northeast,  down  Potato  Valley.  At 
first  we  had  low,  rolling  hills  on  either  side,  but  these  soon  changed  into 
vertical  walls,  and  the  valley  became  a  wide  canon,  with  a  floor  descending 
seventy  five  feet  to  the  mile.  Three  miles  from  camp  we  came  to  the  head 
of  a  small  creek,  which,  receiving  accessions  from  the  north  side,  soon 
became  a  considerable  stream,  with  such  steep  banks  and  swift  current  that 
great  difficulty  was  experienced  in  fording.  We  called  the  creek  by  the 
same  name  as  the  valley,  Potato  Creek. 

At  the  end  of  twenty  miles  this  cafion  valley  was  abruptly  ended  by  a 
line  of  cliffs,  that  stood  directly  across  its  course,  and  into  which  the  stream 
we  followed  entered  by  a  narrow  cafion,  1,200  feet  deep  at  the  very  outset, 
and  filled  from  wall  to  wall  by  a  torrent.  It  was  down  this  gorge  Mr. 
Hamblin  and  party  traveled  in  1871;  but  as  such  a  route  was  manifestly 
impracticable  in  the  present  stage  of  water,  we  went  into  camp,  and  climbed 
the  cliff  to  get  a  view  of  the  country. 

On  reaching  the  summit  we  found  we  were  on  the  western  rim  of  a 
basinlike  region,  seventy  miles  in  length  by  fifty  in  breadth,  and  extending 
from  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Aquarius  Plateau,  on  the  north,  to  the  Colo 
rado  River,  on  the  south,  and  from  the  Henry  Mountains,  on  the  east,  to  our 
point  of  observation,  on  the  west.  A  large  portion  of  this  area  is  naked, 
18  COL 


138     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

sandstone  rock,  traversed  in  all  directions  by  a  perfect  labyrinth  of  narrow 
gorges,  sometimes  seeming  to  cross  each  other,  but  finally  uniting  in  a  prin 
cipal  one,  whose  black  line  could  be  traced,  cutting  its  way  to  the  Colorado, 
a  few  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  San  Juan  River. 

The  perilous  character  of  the  journey  of  Mr.  Hamblin  and  party  was 
apparent.  For  eighty  miles  they  traveled  in  a  canon,  finding,  in  all  that 
distance,  but  two  places  where  the  walls  could  be  scaled.  They  crossed, 
recrossed,  waded,  and  sometimes  swam  a  rapid  stream,  that  often  filled  the 
gorge  from  wall  to  wall.  A  single  shower,  on  the  rock  land  above,  would 
have  changed  the  stream  to  a  raging  torrent,  that  would  have  swept  them 
into  the  Colorado,  or  imprisoned  them  in  some  rock  walled  alcove,  with  no 
possible  way  of  escape. 

Away  to  the  east,  and  fifty  miles  distant,  rose  the  Henry  Mountains, 
their  gray  slopes  streaked  with  long  lines  of  white  by  the  snow  which  yet 
remained  in  the  gulches  near  their  summits.  On  our  voyage  down  the  Colo 
rado  River,  in  1871,  we  had  determined  the  mouth  of  the  Dirty  Devil  River 
to  be  about  thirty  miles  northeast  from  these  mountains,  making  it  at  least 
eighty  miles  from  our  present  camp,  and  directly  across  the  net  work  of 
caiions  before  us.  To  proceed  farther  in  the  direction  we  had  been  pursu 
ing  was  impossible.  No  animal  without  wings  could  cross  the  deep  gulches 
in  the  sandstone  basin  at  our  feet.  The  stream  which  we  had  followed,  and 
whose  course  soon  became  lost  in  the  multitude  of  chasms  before  us,  was 
not  the  one  we  were  in  search  of,  but  an  unknown,  unnamed  river,  draining 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  Aquarius  Plateau,  and  flowing,  through  a  deep, 
narrow  caiion,  to  the  Colorado  River.  Believing  our  party  to  be  the  discov 
erers,  we  decided  to  call  this  stream,  in  honor  of  Father  Escalarite,  the  old 
Spanish  explorer,  Escalante  River,  and  the  country  which  it  drains,  Esca- 
lante  Basin. 

The  western  boundary  of  the  basin  is  the  vertical  wall  forming  the  east 
ern  edge  of  the  Kai-par'-o-wits  Plateau.  From  the  very  base  of  this  cliff, 
the  drainage  is  to  the  Escalante  River,  by  narrow,  deep  canons,  presenting 
apparently  impassable  barriers  to  travel  toward  the  south.  To  the  north, 
and  twenty  miles  away,  rose  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Aquarius  Plateau.  Its 
general  trend  is  north  and  south,  but  away  to  the  northwest,  and  about  forty 


AQUARIUS  PLATEAU.  139 

miles  from  our  point  of  observation,  a  great,  salient  angle  projects  eastward 
toward  the  Henry  Mountains,  the  slopes  at  its  base  seeming  to  continue  out 
a  long  distance,  and  form  a  low,  broken  ridge  between  canons  running 
southward,  to  the  Escalante  River,  and  others  running  northward.  Here,  if 
anywhere,  this  canon  region  could  be  crossed,  and  I  decided  to  go  eastward 
along  the  slope  of  the  great  plateau,  to  the  salient  spoken  of,  and  then 
attempt  the  passage  along  the  ridge. 

To  carry  out  this  plan  would  require  more  supplies  and  time  than  were 
allotted,  so  I  decided  to  divide  my  party,  sending  three  men  to  bring  rations 
from  Kanab  to  the  foot  of  Potato  Valley,  while  I  prosecuted  the  exploration 
with  the  remainder. 

Leaving  the  foot  of  Potato  Valley,  we  traveled  a  little  west  of  north, 
up  a  creek  called,  from  the  many  fine  pine  trees  in  its  valley,  Pine  Creek. 
This  stream  rises  in  a  semicircular  alcove  in  the  eastern  wall  of  the  Aquarius 
Plateau,  and  flows  at  the  foot  of  the  sandstone  cliff  which  forms  the  western 
wall  of  the  Escalante  Basin,  till  near  Potato  Creek,  when  it  turns  abruptly 
to  the  eastward,  cuts  a  deep,  narrow  canon  in  the  cliff,  and  unites  with  the 
main  stream  in  the  heart  of  the  basin. 

After  pursuing  this  course  for  twelve  miles,  and  rising  about  five  hun 
dred  feet,  we  turned  to  the  right,  climbed  900  feet  of  steep  slope  to  the  crest 
of  a  long,  narrow,  ridge  running  out  from  the  Aquarius  Plateau.  On  this 
we  traveled  toward  the  north  till  night,  when  we  camped  on  the  bank  of  a 
beautiful  birch  fringed  brook,  2,000  feet  above  the  foot  of  Potato  Valley. 

The  table  land,  which  we  called  Aquarius  Plateau,  is  about  forty  miles 
long,  by  twenty  broad.  Its  general  surface  is  a  level,  rocky  plain,  dotted 
by  numerous  lakes.  Its  eastern  side,  near  the  summit,  is  a  steep,  and  often 
vertical  wall,  over  which  little  streams  plunge  in  most  beautiful  cascades 
and  falls.  From  the  foot  of  this  wall,  a  long,  gentle  slope  reaches  to  the 
level  of  the  Escalante  Basin.  Lakes  dot  the  upper  portion,  and,  at  inter 
vals,  cascade  brooks  make  the  air  musical  with  running  waters. 

For  two  days  we  traveled  along  this  slope,  having,  all  the  time,  the  snow 

covered  crest  of  the  Aquarius  Plateau  on  our  left,  and  the  Escalante  Basin 

with  its  wilderness  of  dark  canons,  white  capped  buttes,  and  orange  cliffs, 

•  with  intervening  miles  of  naked  rock,  and  loose,  drifting  sands  on  our  right, 


140     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

till  we  reached  the  salient  spoken  of.  Here  we  found  that  the  eastern  line 
of  the  plateau  swung  in  another  great  curve  to  the  north,  and  thus  again 
projected  in  a  salient,  like  the  one  we  had  reached. 

In  the  angle  between  these  salients  lies  a  beautiful  valley,  drained  by 
a  stream  flowing  northward,  being,  in  fact,  as  we  after  ward  ascertained,  one 
of  the  southern  branches  of  the  Dirty  Devil  River.  We  went  into  camp  at 
this  point,  and  spent  a  day  in  exploration. 

The  stream  draining  the  valley  between  the  salients  soon  enters  a  nar 
row  canon,  and  the  whole  country  becomes  so  cut  by  transverse  gorges  that 
travel  in  that  direction  was  manifestly  impracticable.  "  During  the  day  an 
old  Indian  trail  was  discovered,  leading  along  the  low,  broken  ridge  noticed 
from  the  foot  of  Potato  Valley.  This  we  followed  the  next  morning,  and 
after  many  wanderings  around  the  heads  of  canons,  running  both  northward 
and  southward,  came  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff  forming  the  eastern  rim  of  the 
Escalante  Basin,  and  overlooking  a  valley  2,000  feet  below.  After  some 
trouble  we  found  a  practicable  way  to  descend,  though  most  of  the  time 
we  were  on  bare  rock,  often  sloping  at  an  angle  of  twenty  five  degrees. 
Reaching  the  foot,  we  found  ourselves  on  the  bank  of  a  clear  stream,  flow 
ing  through  groves  of  cottonwood,  and  well  entitled  to  the  name  which  we 
gave  it — Pleasant  Creek.  During  the  day  we  had  observed  many  fresh 
signs  of  Indians,  and  early  the  next  morning  we  found  a  small  party  gather 
ing  seeds.  From  their  questions,  and  the  surprise  they  evinced  at  our 
appearance,  it  was  evident  that  we  were  the  first  white  men  who  had  been 
known  to  visit  this  portion  of  their  country.  We  traveled  but  three  miles 
this  day,  spending  the  most  of  the  time  in  endeavoring  to  induce  the  Indians 
to  accompany  us,  but  with  no  success. 

On  leaving  this  camp  our  course  was  south  fifteen  degrees  east,  for  eight 
miles,  when  we  turned  to  the  left,  and  entered  a  narrow  cailon,  with  vertical 
walls  800  feet  high.  We  followed  this  for  ten  miles,  and  to  its  head,  find 
ing  no  place  where  its  walls  could  be  scaled,  and  reluctantly  returned,  and 
camped  for  the  night  near  its  mouth.  The  next  day,  after  much  searching 
and  considerable  labor,  we  made  a  trail  up  a  rocky  point,  and  camped  that 
night  at  a  water  pocket,  in  the  head  of  a  canon,  on  the  mesa  above.  The 
next  day  we  crossed  the  mesa,  to  the  flank  of  the  Henry  Mountains,  and 


X 


HENRY  MOUNTAINS  141 

camped  on  the  side  of  the  second  peak  of  the  range,  at  an  elevation  of 
about  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  Our  camp  was  on  a  small  stream, 
evidently  formed  by  the  melting  snows  in  the  gulches  above  us. 

The  Henry  Mountains  consist  of  five  peaks,  having  a  northerly  and 
southerly  axis,  standing  on  the  back  of  the  plateau  lying  between  the 
Dirty  Devil  and  Colorado  Rivers.  They  are  completely  isolated,  being  fifty 
miles  from  the  Wasatch  Plateau  and  Thousand  Lake  Mountain,  on  the  west; 
about  the  same  distance  from  the  Sierra  Abajo,  on  the  east,  and  sixty  miles 
from  a  huge,  lone  peak,  which  we  have  called  the  Navajo  Mountain,  on  the 
south.  The  three  northern  peaks  have  an  elevation  of  about  eleven  thou 
sand  feet  above  the  sea;  the  others,  less.  The  crest  of  the  most  northern 
is  a  long,  irregular  ridge ;  but  the  others  rise  to  sharp  points. 

From  the  summits  of  these  mountains  we  could  see  the  junction  of  the  . 
canons  of  the  Dirty  Devil  and  Colorado  Rivers.  So,  after  such  an  examin 
ation  of  the  range  as  our  limited  time  would  permit,  we  pursued  a  course  a 
little  north  of  east,  and  camped,  the  night  after  leaving  the  mountains,  by  a 
small  stream,  which,  from  the  boulders  in  its  bed,  we  called  Trachyte  Creek. 
The  next  day  we  followed  its  course,  with  considerable  difficulty,  until  we 
found  it  would  take  us  to  the  Colorado,  at  a  point  south  of  our  point  of 
destination.  We  then  camped,  and,  after  much  search,  found  a  way  up  and 
across  the  sand  covered  mesa  lying  north  of  the  creek,  and  came  to  the  head 
of  a  deep  canon,  that  joined  the  Colorado  two  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Dirty  Devil  River.  I  recognized  it  as  one  explored  by  members  of  our 
party  when  camped  near  its  mouth  last  year,  and  felt  confident  that  if  we 
could  once  get  down  its  precipitous  side  to  the  bottom,  we  could  easily  make 
our  way  to  the  river.  After  many  efforts,  we  succeeded  in  descending,  and 
camped  that  night  near  a  spring  in  the  canon.  The  next  day  we  followed 
down  its  course  without  difficulty,  and  came  to  the  river  about  two  miles 
below  the  point  where  our  boat  was  cached. 

Here  we  went  into  camp,  and  made  our  way  on  foot  along  the  west 
bank  of  the  Colorado  to  our  boat,  finding  it  undisturbed,  although  the  high 
water  had  washed  the  sand  from  underneath  her  keel.  The  next  day  was 
spent  in  repairing  the  boat.  With  the  aid  of  the  materials  brought  from 
Kanab  we  were  able  to  make  her  perfectly  seaworthy. 


142  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

I  again  divided  my  small  party,  detaching  Messrs.  Hillers,  Fenni- 
more,  Dellenbaugh,  and  Johnson  as  a  boat  party,  to  proceed  through  the 
caiion,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Paria,  while,  with  the  remainder,  I  returned,  by 
the  same  route  we  had  explored,  to  the  foot  of  Potato  Valley,  passing  over 
in  six  days  the  distance  we  were  fifteen  days  in  making  on  our  journey  out. 

Here  we  found  the  party  sent  to  Kanab  awaiting  us  with  supplies. 
After  spending  two  days  at  this  point  making  astronomic  observations,  we 
returned  to  Kanab,  establishing  several  geodetic  and  topographic  stations 
on  our  way,  and  arriving  July  8,  having  been  absent  forty  one  days. 

The  boat  party  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Paria,  after  a  successful 
trip,  on  July  11. 


FORESTS. 


The  low  ridges  running  out  from  the  base  of  the  Vermilion  Cliffs  are 
usually  covered  by  a  scanty  growth  of  cedars,  fit  only  for  fencing  and  fire 
wood.  About  one-fourth  of  the  area  of  the  plateaus  above — the  Vermilion 
and  the  White  Cliffs — is  covered  by  a  scattered  growth  of  pine  and  cedar; 
but  neither  the  quantity,  quality,  nor  accessibility  renders  it  of  much  value. 

The  ridges  spoken  of  as  running  out  from  the  foot  of  the  eastern  face  of 
the  Pauns-a'-gunt  Plateau,  are  usually  covered  by  a  scanty  growth  of  low, 
scrubby  cedars;  but  in  the  intervening  valleys  are  groves  of  pine,  from 
which  considerable  quantities  of  lumber  might  be  cut;  while  on  the  plateau 
itself  is  the  finest  forest  of  pine  and  spruce  in  Southern  Utah.  It  is  easily 
accessible  from  the  valley  of  the  Sevier  River,  on  the  west,  and  when  the 
country  is  settled  must  become  quite  valuable. 

The  mesas  in  the  basin  of  the  Paria  River  are  mostly  covered  by  cedars 
and  pinon  pines.  Where  the  canons  of  the  streams  widen  into  valleys, 
small  groves  of  cottonwoods  are  often  found,  and  near  the  sources  of  these 
streams  are  scattered  pitch  pines,  thickets  of  birch,  and  a  low,  scrubby  oak 
of  no  value. 

The  eastern  end  of  the  Kai-par'-o-wits  Plateau,  the  ridges  running  down 
from  Table  Cliff  Plateau,  as  well  as  its  summit,  and  the  broken  country 
around  the  foot  of  Potato  Valley,  are  covered  by  a  forest  of  pine  and  cedar. 

No  timber  of  any  value  is  found  in  the  Escalante  Basin.  The  summit  of 
the  Aquarius  Plateau  is  crowned  by  a  forest  of  spruce,  that  also  extends  in 


WATER,  ARABLE  LAND,  GRASS,  ETC.  143 

dark  masses  along  the  foot  of  the  nearly  vertical  wall  that  forms  the  eastern 
crest  of  the  eastern  slope,  while  aspens  and  birches  fringe  its  lakes  and  streams. 
Farther  down,  pines  stand  in  open  groves,  and  give  to  the  whole  country  a 
park  like  appearance.  These  continue  till  near  the  level  of  Escalante  Basin, 
where  they  give  way  to  cedars. 

Upon  the  foot-hills  of  the  Henry  Mountains  is  a  dense  growth  of  low, 
scrubby  cedars,  and  in  the  gulches  near  their  summits  are  a  few  groves  of 
aspen,  pine,  and  spruce;  but  generally  the  timber  upon  these  mountains  is 
in  almost  inaccessible  places. 

In  the  canon  of  the  Dirty  Devil  River,  and  in  other  canons  draining 
into  the  Colorado,  are  considerable  quantities  of  cottonwood.  From  the 
data  collected,  I  estimate  that  ten  per  cent,  of  the  country  explored  is  cov 
ered  by  forests,  valuable  for  lumber,  thirty  per  cent,  by  forests  valuable 
only  for  fuel  and  fencing,  and  the  remainder  by  grass,  sage,  greasewood, 
loose  sands,  or  naked  rock. 

WATER,    ARABLE    LAND,    GRASS,    ETC. 

Irrigation  is  a  necessary  adjunct  to  successful  cultivation  in  all  the 
region  explored,  so  the  amount  of  arable  land  depends  solely  upon  the 
amount  of  water  that  can  be  used  for  that  purpose.  In  Johnson's  Canon 
springs  burst  out  from  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  and  form  a  small  stream,  that 
flows  a  mile  or  two  before  sinking  in  the  sand,  furnishing  enough  water, 
during  the  dry  season,  to  irrigate  one  hundred  acres  of  land. 

At  Skoompa,  a  small  stream,  coming  down  from  the  Pink  Cliffs,  furnishes 
sufficient  water  to  irrigate  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  but  the  altitude  is  so 
great  that  only  the  more  hardy  cereals  can  be  grown. 

Over  all  fhe  country  between  the  Pauns-a'-gunt  Plateau  and  the  White 
Cliffs  grass  grows  abundantly,  and  the  many  fine  springs  in  the  valleys 
lying  between  the  ridges  furnish  sufficient  water  for  grazing. 

In  the  Paria  Basin  the  streams  are  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  feet  below 
the  general  level  of  the  country,  so  no  land  can  be  cultivated  except  where 
the  canons  widen  into  narrow  valleys.  At  Camp  No.  5  the  caiion  of  the 
Paria  expands  into  a  valley,  half  a  mile  wide  and  about  three  miles  long 
The  river  carries  here  about  the  same  volume  of  water  as  at  its  mouth,  fifty 
miles  distant.  In  fact,  no  permanent  stream  joins  it  below  this  point.  Fresh- 


144  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

ets  often  occur,  and,  as  every  shower  washes  down  great  quantities  of  the 
soft,  clayey  soil  of  the  basin,  the  stream  frequently  presents  the  appearance 
of  a  river  of  mud.  So  great  is  the  quantity  of  the  clay  held  in  solution 
that  considerable  difficulty  is  experienced  in  using  its  waters  for  irrigation 
at  the  Paria  settlement.  When  turned  into  the  fields  it  soon  covers  the  whole 
surface  with  an  impervious  coat,  that  effectually  prevents  the  water  from 
sinking  into  the  soil. 

The  canon  of  Table  Cliff  Creek  is  wider  than  that  of  the  Paria,  and 
contains  some  hundreds  of  acres  of  land  that  might  be  cultivated,  except  for 
the  limited  quantity  of  water  the  creek  affords. 

On  the  mesas,  in  the  Paria  Basin,  is  a  considerable  extent  of  grazing 
land.  The  lower  end  of  Potato  Valley  is  elevated  about  five  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea  level,  and  contains  two  thousand  acres  of  arable  land.  Potato 
Creek  would  easily  furnish  sufficient  water  to  irrigate  it.  In  the  upper  por 
tion  of  this  valley  are  many  acres  of  fine,  natural  meadows,  while  on  the 
mesas  and  in  the  broken  country  is  a  fine  range  for  cattle. 

We  found  no  arable  land  within  the  limits  of  Escalante  Basin. 

The  eastern  slope  of  the  Aquarius  Plateau  has  an  average  elevation  of 
7,000  feet,  and,  though  too  high  for  cultivation,  it  furnishes  the  finest  natural 
facilities  for  grazing.  Grass  grows  abundantly  everywhere,  and  streams  of 
pure,  cool  water  are  met  at  intervals  of  every  two  or  three  miles.  Indeed, 
from  the  depth,  rapidity,  and  number  of  the  streams  we  crossed  flowing  into 
the  Escalante  Basin,  we  supposed  the  river  of  that  name  carried  twice  the 
amount  of  water  as  the  Paria,  but  when  the  boat  party  arrived  at  its  junc 
tion  with  the  Colorado,  they  found  only  a  small  stream,  that  a  man  could 
leap  across;  the  greater  portion  had  been  absorbed,  or  evaporated  in  the 
sandstone  basin. 

Along  Pleasant  Creek  are  about  a  thousand  acres  of  land,  which  the 
water  of  the  creek  might  be  used  to  irrigate.  We  saw  no  arable  land,  and 
but  one  spring  that  we  thought  permanent,  m  the  Henry  Mountains.  There 
is  a  small  stream,  which  we  called  Trachyte  Creek,  east  of  the  range,  and 
flowing  into  the  Colorado.  There  are  some  good  grazing  lands  along  its 
course,  but  none  fit  for  cultivation. 

I  estimate  that  not  more  than  one  per  cent,  of  the  land  adjacent  to  our 


DISTANCE,  ETC.  145 

route  of  travel  can  be  cultivated,  but  sixty  per  cent,  is  of  greater  or  less 
value  for  grazing.   ' 

DISTANCE,    ETC. 

.The  distance  traveled  by  the  main  party,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Dirty 
Devil  River,  was  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles,  through  a  country,  for  the 
most  part,  completely  unknown.  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  any  evidence 
that  white  men  ever  before  visited  any  considerable  portion  of  the  country 
explored. 

With  the  data  collected,  we  shall  be  able  to  make  a  valuable  reconnais 
sance  map,  showing  the  general  features  of  the  region,  and  quite  full  in 
detail,  along  the  route  traveled. 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.  H.  THOMPSON. 
J.  W.  POWELL, 

In  charge  Exploration  of  the  Colorado  River,  and  its  Tributaries. 

19  COL 


SECOND. 


ON  THE  PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  VALLEY 

OF  THE  COLORADO. 


CHAPTER   XL 


ON  THE  PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

The  topographic  features  of  the  valley  of  the  Colorado,  or  the  area 
drained  by  the  Colorado  River  and  its  tributaries,  are,  in  many  respects, 
unique, 'as  some  of  these  features,  perhaps,  are  not  reproduced,  except  to  a  very 
limited  extent,  on  any  other  portion  of  the  surface  of  the  globe.  Mountains, 
hills,  plateaus,  plains,  and  valleys  are  here  found,  as  elsewhere  throughout 
the  earth;  but,  in  addition  to  these  topographic  elements  in  the  scenic 
features  of  the  region,  we  find  .buttes,  outlying  masses  of  stratified  rocks, 
often  of  great  altitude,  not  as  dome  shaped  or  conical  mounds,  but  usually 
having  angular  outlines;  their  sides  are  vertical  walls,  terraced  or  buttressed, 
and  broken  by  deep,  re-entering  angles,  and  often  naked  of  soil  and  vege 
tation. 

Then  we  find  lines  of  cliffs,  abrupt  escarpments  of  rock,  of  great  length 
and  great  height,  revealing  the  cut  edges  of  strata  swept  away  from  the 
lower  side.  Thirdly,  we  find  canons,  narrow  gorges,  scores  or  hundreds  of 
miles  in  length,  and  hundreds  or  thousands  of  feet  in  depth,  with  walls  of 
precipitous  rocks. 

In  the  arid  region  of  the  western  portion  of  the  United  States,  there 
are  certain  tracts  of  country  which  have  received  the  name  of  mauvaises  terres, 
or  bad-lands.  These  are  dreary  wastes — naked  hills,  with  rounded  or  con 
ical  forms,  composed  of  sand,  sandy  clays,  or  fine  fragments  of  shaly  rocks, 
with  steep  slopes,  and,  yielding  to  the  pressure  of  the  foot,  they  are 
climbed  only  by  the  greatest  toil,  and  it  is  a  labor  of  no  inconsiderable 
magnitude  to  penetrate  or  cross  such  a  district  of  country.  The  steep  hills 
are  crowded  together,  and  the  water-ways  separating  them  are  deep  arroyas. 
Where  the  mud  rocks  or  sandy  clays  arid  shales,  of  which  the  hills  are 
composed,  are  interstratified  with  occasional  harder  beds,  the  slopes  are 
terraced;  and  when  these  thinly  bedded,  though  harder,  rocks  prevail,  the 


150  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  OAStONS  OVF  THE  COLORADO. 

outlines  of  the  topography  are  changed,  and  present  angular  surfaces,  and 
give  rise  to  another  type  of  topographic  features,  which  I  have  denominated 
Alcove  Lands. 

The  agencies  and  conditions  under  which  all  of  these  features  have 
been  formed  deserve  mention,  and  in  this  and  following  chapters  I  shall 
briefly  discuss  this  subject,  in  a  manner  as  free  from  technical  terms  as  will 
be  consistent  with  accurate  description. 

The  discussion  will  by  no  means  be  exhaustive,  and  I  hope  hereafter  to 
treat  this  subject  in  a  more  thorough  manner.  In  view  of  these  facts,  I 
shall  not  attempt  any  logical  classification  of  the  elements  of  the  topography, 
nor  of  the  agencies  and  conditions  under  which  they  were  produced;  but, 
commencing  at  the  north,  at  the  initial  point  of  the  exploration,  I  shall  take 
them  up  in  geographic  order,  as  we  proceed  down  the  river. 

BAD-LANDS    AND    ALCOVE    LANDS    NORTH    OF    THE    UINTA   MOUNTAINS. 

The  area  north  of  the  Uinta  Mountains  embraced  in  the  survey  is  but 
small.  Through  the  middle  of  it  runs  Green  Biver,  in  a  deep,  narrow  val 
ley,  the  sides  or  walls  of  which  sometimes  approach  so  near  to  each  other, 
and  are  so  precipitous,  as  to  form  a  canon. 

The  general  surface  of  the  country,  on  the  north  of  this  district,  is 
about  a  thousand  feet  above  the  river,  with  peaks,  here  and  there,  rising  a 
few  hundred  feet  higher;  but  south,  toward  the  Uinta  Mountains,  this  gen 
eral  surface,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  river,  gradually  descends,  and  at  the 
foot  of  the  mountains  we  find  a  valley  on  either  side,  with  a  direction  trans 
verse  to  that  of  the  course  of  Green  River,  and  parallel  to  the  mountain 
range. 

To  the  north,  the  water-ways  are  all  deeply  eroded;  the  permanent 
streams  have  flood-plains  of  greater  or  lesser  extent,  but  the  channels  of  the 
wet  weather  streams,  i.  e.,  those  which  are  dry  during  the  greater  part  of 
the  year,  are  narrow,  and  much  broken  by  abrupt  falls. 

The  rocks  are  the  sediments  of  a  dead  lake,  and  are  quite  variable  in 
lithologic  characteristics.  We  find  thinly  laminated  shales,  hard  limestones, 
breaking  with  an  angular  fracture,  crumbling  bad-land  rocks,  and  homo 
geneous,  heavily  bedded  sandstones. 


THE  ALCOVE  LAND.  151 

The  scenic  features  of  the  country  are  alike  variable.  On  the  cliffs 
about  Green  River  City,  towers  and  buttes  are  seen  as  you  look  from  below, 
always  regarded  by  the  passing  traveler  as  strange  freaks  of  nature.  The 
limestones,  interstratified  with  shales,  give  terraced  and  buttressed  character 
istics  to  the  escarpments  of  the  canons  and  narrow  valleys. 

Immediately  south  of  Bitter  Creek,  on  the  east  side  of  Green  River, 
there  is  a  small  district  of  country  which  we  have  called  the  Alcove  Land. 
On  the  east,  it  is  drained  by  Little  Bitter  Creek,  a  dry  gulch  much  of  the 
year.  This  runs  north  into  Bitter  Creek,  a  permanent  stream,  which  empties 
into  the  Green.  The  crest  of  this  water-shed  is  an  irregular  line,  only  two 
to  four  miles  back  from  the  river,  but  usually  more  than  a  thousand  feet 
above  it,  so  that  the  waters  have  a  rapid  descent,  and  every  shower  born 
rill  has  excavated  a  deep,  narrow  channel,  and  these  narrow  canons  are  so 
close  to  each  other  as  to  be  separated  by  walls  of  rock  so  steep,  in  most 
places,  that  they  cannot  be  scaled,  and  many  of  these  little  canons  are  so 
broken  by  falls  as  to  be  impassable  in  either  direction. 

The  whole  country  is  cut,  in  this  way,  into  irregular,  angular  blocks, 
standing  as  buttresses,  benches,  and  towers,  about  deep  water-ways  and 
gloomy  alcoves. 

The  conditions  under  which  the  canons  have  been  carved  will  be  more 
elaborately  discussed  hereafter. 

To  the  west  of  Green  River,  and  back  some  miles,  between  Black's 
Fork  and  Henry's  Fork,  we  have  a  region  of  buff,  chocolate,  and  lead  col 
ored  bad-lands.  This  bad-land  country  differs  from  the  Alcove  Land,  above 
mentioned,  in  that  its  outlines  are  everywhere  beautifully  rounded,  as  the 
rocks  of  which  it  is  composed  crumble  quickly  under  atmospheric  agencies, 
so  that  an  exposure  of  solid  rock  is  rarely  seen;  but  we  have  the  same 
abrupt  descent  of  the  streams,  and  the  same  elaborate  system  of  water 
channels.  Here  we  have  loose,  incoherent  sandstones,  shales,  and  clays, 
carved,  by  a  net-work  of  running  waters,  into  domes  and  cones,  with  flow 
ing  outlines.  But  still  there  is  no  vegetation,  and  the  loose  earth  is  naked. 
Occasionally,  a  thin  stratum  of  harder  rock  will  be  found.  Such  strata  will 
here  and  there  form  shelves  or  steps  upon  the  sides  of  the  mountains. 

Traces  of  iron,  and  rarer  minerals,  are  found  in  these  beds,  and  on 


152     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

exposure  to  the  air,  the  chemical  agencies  give  a  greater  variety  of  colors, 
so  that  the  mountains  and  cones,  and  the  strange  forms  of  the  bad-lands,  are 
elaborately  and  beautifully  painted ;  not  with  the  delicate  tints  of  verdure, 
but  with  brilliant  colors,  that  are  gorgeous  when  first  seen,  but  which  soon 
pall  on  the  senses. 

THE    U1NTA   MOUNTAINS. 

To  the  west  of  Green  River  stand  the  Wasatch  Mountains,  a  system 
of  peaks,  tables,  and  elevated  valleys,  having  a  northerly  and  southerly 
direction,  nearly  parallel  to  the  river.  The  range  known  as  the  Uinta 
Mountains  stands  at  right  angles  to  the  Wasatch,  extending  toward  the  east, 
and  no  definite  line  of  division  can  be  noticed.  The  Wasatch  is  a  great 
trunk,  with  a  branch  called  the  Uinta.  Near  the  junction,  the  two  ranges 
have  about  the  same  altitude,  and  the  gulches  of  their  summits  are  filled 
with  perpetual  snow ;  but  toward  the  east,  the  Uinta  peaks  are  lower,  grad 
ually  diminishing  in  altitude,  until  they  are  lost  in  low  ridges  and  hills. 

Through  this  range  Green  River  runs,  and  a  series  of  canons  forms  its 
channel. 

To  a  person  studying  the  physical  geography  of  this  country,  without 
a  knowledge  of  its  geology,  it  would  seem  very  strange  that  the  river  should 
cut  through  the  mountains,  when,  apparently,  it  might  have  passed  around 
them  to  the  east,  through  valleys,  for  there  are  such  along  the  north  side  of 
the  Uintas,  extending  to  the  east,  where  the  mountains  are  degraded  to  hills, 
and,  passing  around  these,  there  are  other  valleys,  extending  to  the  Green, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  range.  Then,  why  did  the  river  run  through  the 
mountains  ? 

The  first  explanation  suggested  is  that  it  followed  a  previously  formed 
fissure  through  the  range;  but  very  little  examination  will  show  that  this 
explanation  is  unsatisfactory.  The  proof  is  abundant  that  the  river  cut  its 
own  channel;  that  the  canons  are  gorges  of  corrasion.  Again,  the  question 
returns  to  us,  why  did  not  the  stream  turn  around  this  great  obstruction, 
rather  than  pass  through  it  I  The  answer  is  that  the  river  had  the  right 
of  way;  in  other  words,  it  was  running  ere  the  mountains  were  formed;  not 
before  the  rocks  of  which  the  mountains  are  composed,  were  deposited,  but 
before  the  formations  were  folded,  so  as  to  make  a  mountain  range. 


THE  RIVER  OLDER  THAN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  153 

The  contracting  or  shriveling  of  the  earth  causes  the  rocks  near  the 
surface  to  wrinkle  or  fold,  and  such  a  fold  was  started  athwart  the  course  of 
the  river.  Had  it  been  suddenly  formed,  it  would  have  been  an  obstruction 
sufficient  to  turn  the  water  in  a  new  course  to  the  east,  beyond  the  extension 
of  the  wrinkle;  but  the  emergence  of  the  fold  above  the  general  surface  of 
the  country  was  little  or  no  faster  tHan  the  progress  of  the  corrasion  of  the 
channel.  We  may  say,  then,  that  the  river  did  not  cut  its  way  down  through 
the  mountains,  from  a  height  of  many  thousand  feet  above  its  present  site, 
but,  having  an  elevation  differing  but  little,  perhaps,  from  what  it  now  has, 
as  the  fold  was  lifted,  it  cleared  away  the  obstruction  by  cutting  a  canon, 
and  the  walls  were  thus  elevated  on  either  side.  The  river  preserved  its 
level,  but  mountains  were  lifted  up;  as  the  saw  revolves  on  a  fixed  pivot, 
while  the  log  through  which  it  cuts  is  moved  along.  The  river  was  the  saw 
which  cut  the  mountains  in  two. 

Recurring  to  the  time  before  this  wrinkle  was  formed,  there  were  beds 
of  sandstone,  shale,  and  limestone,  more  than  twenty  four  thousand  feet  in 
thickness,  spread  horizontally  over  a  broad  stretch  of  this  country.  Then 
the  summit  of  the  fold  slowly  emerged,  until  the  lower  beds  of  sandstone 
were  lifted  to  the  altitude  at  first  occupied  by  the  upper  beds,  and  if  these 
upper  beds  had  not  been  earned  away,  they  would  now  be  found  more  than 
twenty  four  thousand  feet  above  the  river,  and  we  should  have  a  billow  of 
sandstone,  with  its  axis  lying  in  an  easterly  and  westerly  direction,  more 
than  a  hundred  miles  in  length,  fifty  miles  in  breadth,  and  over  twenty  four 
thousand  feet  higher  than  the  present  altitude  of  the  river,  gently  rounded 
from  its  central  line  above  to  the  foot  of  the  slope  on  either  side.  But  as 
the  rocks  were  lifted,  rains  fell  upon  them  and  gathered  into  streams,  and 
the  wash  of  the  rains  and  the  corrasion  of  the  rivers  cut  the  billow  down 
almost  as  fast  as  it  rose,  so  that  the  present  altitude  of  these  mountains 
marks  only  the  difference  between  the  elevation  and  the  denudation. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  elevation  of  the  wrinkle  was  twenty-four  thou 
sand  feet,  but  it  is  probable  that  this  is  not  the  entire  amount,  for  the  present 
altitude  of  the  river,  above  the  sea,  is  nearly  six  thousand  feet,  and  when  this 
20  COL 


154  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

folding  began  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  general  surface  of  this 
country  was  but  slightly  above  that  general  standard  of  comparison. 

Then  there  were  down-turned  as  well  as  up-turned  wrinkles,  or,  as  the 
geologist  would  say,  there  were  synclinal  as  well  as  anticlinal  folds.  Had 
there  been  no  degradation  of  the  fold,  there  would  have  been  a  bed  of  rock 
turned  over  its  summit  twenty-four  thousand  feet  above  the  present  level  of 
the  river.  Now  that  bed  is  gone  from  the  mountains,  yet  it  can  be  seen  turned 
up  on  edge  against  the  flanks  of  the  mountains,  dipping  under  the  beds  of 
rocks  found  still  farther  out  from  the  range.  Follow  it  down,  and  doubtless 
we  could  trace  it  to  a  depth  much  below  the  level  of  the  sea.  While  the  folds 
were  forming,  the  upturned  flexures  were  cut  down,  and  the  troughs  in  the 
down-turned  flexures  were  filled  up,  and  we  have  more  than  eight  thousand 
feet  of  these  later  sediments  to  the.  north  of  the  Uinta  Mountains. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  upheaval  was  not  marked  by  a  great  con 
vulsion,  for  the  lifting  of  the  rocks  was  so  slow  that  the  rains  removed  the 
sandstones  almost  as  fast  as  they  came  up.  The  mountains  were  not  thrust 
up  as  peaks,  but  a  great  block  was  slowly  lifted,  and  from  this  the  mount 
ains  were  carved  by  the  clouds — patient  artists,  who  take  what  time  may  be 
necessary  for  their  work. 

We  speak  of  mountains  forming  clouds  about  their  tops;  the  clouds 
have  formed  the  mountains.  Lift  a  district  of  granite,  or  marble,  into  their 
region,  and  they  gather  about  it,  and  hurl  their  storms  against  it,  beating 
the  rocks  into  sands,  and  then  they  carry  them  out  into  the  sea,  carving  out 
caiions,  gulchee,  and  valleys,  and  leaving  plateaus  and  mountains  embossed 
on  the  surface. 

Instead  of  having  a  rounded  billow,  we  have  an  irregular  table,  with 
beds  dipping  to  the  north,  on  the  north  side  of  the  axis,  and  to  the  south,  on 
the  south  side,  cnnd  in  passing  over  the  truncated  fold  we  pass  over  their 
upturned  edges. 

Go  out  on  the  flank  of  the  fold,  and  find  the  bed  of  rock  which  would 
form  the  summit  of  the  great  wrinkle,  had  there  been  no  erosion,  and  there 
sink  a  shaft  24,000  feet,  arid  you  will  be  able  to  study  a  certain  succession 
of  beds  of  sandstones,  shales,  and  limestones.  Go  two  or  three  miles  farther 
from  the  mountains,  and  sink  a  shaft;  the  first  eight  thousand  feet  or  more 


THE  UINTA  FOLD.  155 

• 

will  be  through  sandstones  and  shales,  unlike  those  seen  in  the  first  section; 
then  you  will  strike  the  summit  of  the  first  section.  Continuing  down  for 
24,000  feet,  the.  first  will  be  reproduced,  stratum  for  stratum.  Now  start  on 
either  side  of  the  fold,  and  cross  to  its  center,  and  you  will  pass  over  the 
same  series  of  strata  in  the  same  order  as  you  would  in  descending  the  first 
mentioned  shaft,  and  in  the  seconchalso,  below  the  upper  8,000  feet.  Now 
pass  again  from  the  center  to  the  flank  of  the  fold,  in  either  direction,  and 
you  can  study  the  same  rocks  in  the  same  order  as  you  would  in  ascending 
these  shafts.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  in  these  truncated  wrinkles  we  are 
enabled  to  study  geological  formations  without  descending  into  the  depths 
of  the  earth. 

Figure  51  has  been  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  graphically  express 
ing  some  of  the  important  facts  observed  in  the  great  Uinta  Fold.  In  this, 
the  beds  are  seen  to  turn  up  in  a  great  flexure,  and  to  be  cut  away  above, 
the  higher  beds  more  than  the  lower;  thus  4,  4-4,  4,  has  been  cut  away  much 
more  than  5,  5-5,  5;  and  10, 10-10, 10  has  suffered  much  less  erosion  than  the 
beds  above  it.  The  only  place  where  the  water  has  earned  it  away  is  at  Y, 
the  bottom  of  the  canon. 

In  this  diagram,  the  line  A-B  represents  the  lowest  line  of  observation, 
as  exhibited  in  the  bed  of  the  river.  All  below  this  line  is  theoretical.  The 
line  C— D  represents  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  stratum  E,  E— E,  E  was  the 
last  deposited  antecedent  to  the  commencement  of  the  emergence  of  the 
summit  of  the  fold.  Had  there  been  no  erosion  of  the  fold,  the  beds  inter 
vening  between  the  broken  line  I,  I,  I,  (which  is  a  continuation  of  the  lines 
E,  E— E,  E,)  and  the  irregular  line  which  represents  the  surface  of  the  country, 
cutting  the  edges  of  the  eroded  beds,  and  passing  through  the  lowest,  No.  10, 
at  Y,  would  still  be  found,  but  they  have  been  carried  away. 

The  diagram  does  not  properly  represent  the  entire  amount  of  erosion, 
from  the  fact  that  the  vertical  scale  is  exaggerated,  and  the  beds  have  been 
extended  beyond  their  proper  limits,  for  the  purpose  of  representing  more 
clearly  other  facts  of  interest. 

It  will  be  seen  that  in  passing  along  the  line  A-B,  (the  bottom  of  the 
river  channel,)  from  the  shaft  F,  to  the  bottom  of  the  canon  Y,  we  are  able 
to  observe  the  beds  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  in  the  same  order  that  we  would  in 


156  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

descending  the  shaft  F.  The  beds  1-1,  2-2  have  been  deposited  since  the 
emergence  of  the  summit  of  the  fold,  and  hence  never  extended  quite  across 
it;  yet  the  lower  members  of  these  beds,  doubtless,  at  one  time  extended 
much  farther  up  on  the  flanks  of  the  fold.  They  have  been  cut  away,  how 
ever,  as  represented  in  the  diagram.  Let  the  lines  H,  H-H,  H,  represent  the 
limit  of  the  continuation  of  these  beds.  In  the  shaft  Gr  these  beds  also  are 
exposed  above  those  seen  in  shaft  F. 

The  altitude  of  the  rocks  above  the  line  of  observation,  (A,  B,)  is 
exaggerated  about  five  times.  If  they  were  reduced  to  one-fifth,  the  propor 
tion  between  the  rocks  seen  in  the  various  escarpments  of  these  mountains, 
and  those  carried  away  below  the  broken  lines,  would  be  properly  repre 
sented. 

By  sinking  a  shaft,  only  a  little  surface  along  the  edge  of  the  strata  could 
be  seen;  but  on  the  sides  of  the  fold  they  are  exposed  for  many  miles,  and 
often  the  top  or  bottom  is  cleared  off  for  a  great  space,  revealing  even  the 
ripple  marks  of  the  ancient  sea,  or  rounded  impressions  of  rain  drops  which 
fell  in  that  elder  time;  or  the  sands  have  buried  shells  and  bones  of  ancient 
animals,  and  they  are  still  encased  in  the  rock;  and  even  impressions  of 
leaves  that  were  buried  in  the  mud  can  yet  be  seen  in  such  a  fine  state  of 
preservation  that  you  can  trace  their  delicate  veins. 

In  speaking  of  the  great  upheaval  of  rocks  from  which  the  Uinta 
Mountains  are  carved,  I  have  spoken  of  wrinkling  and  folding,  as  if  the 
rocks  were  always  flexed;  but  these  displacements  are  sometimes  attended 
with  fractures,  on  one  side  of  which  the  rocks  are  upheaved,  or  thrown  down 
on  the  other.  Such  displacements  are  called  faults.  Faults  like  these  are 
seen  in  many  places  in  the  Uinta  Mountains;  one  great  one,  on  the  north 
side,  the  throw  of  which  is  nearly  twenty  thousand  feet,  and  many  others 
are  found  of  lesser  magnitude. 

In  speaking  of  elevation  and  depression  by  faulting  or  folding,  it  must 
be  understood  that  reference  is  made  to  a  change  of  altitude  in  relation  to 
the  surface  of  the  sea,  so  that  upheaval  or  throw  is  only  relative  to  this  gen 
eral  standard  of  comparison.  But  during  the  geological  ages  represented 
in  the  folding  and  carving  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  it  is  possible  the  level  of 
the  sea  itself  has  been  changed  by  the  shrinking  of  the  earth,  and  a  part, 


THE  UINTA  CANONS.  157 

at  least,  of  the  apparent  upheaval  above  mentioned  may  be  accounted  for 
by  a  depression  of  the  formations  in  synclinal  folds,  and  the  letting  down 
of  broad  areas  of  the  earth's  surface  by  lateral  contraction  exhibited  in 
corrugation. 


When  we  arrive  at  a  point  a  few  miles  north  of  Flaming  Gorge,  we 
strike  the  flank  of  this  great  fold,  and  find  the  rocks  dipping  to  the  north, 
and,  as  we  run  south,  the  course  of  the  stream  is  against  the  inclination  of 
the  beds;  and  this  is  true,  in  the  main,  until  we  reach  Bee  Hive  Point,  where 
the  river  turns  to  the  east,  almost  at  right  angles  to  its  former  course,  and 
to  the  dip;  then  it  runs  nearly  in  the  direction  of  the  strike,  but  the  axis  is 
not  crossed  until  after  passing  through  Red  Canon.  The  rocks  on  both 
sides  of  this  canon  dip  to  the  north;  that  is,  they  incline  to  the  river  on  the 
south,  and  from  it  on  the  north.  Under  these  conditions,  the  two  walls  of 
Red  Canon  present  very  different  characteristics ;  that  on  the  south  exhibits 
steep  slopes,  covered,  to  a  greater  or  lesser  extent,  with  forests;  the  north 
wall  is  a  bold  escarpment,  often  vertical,  and  almost  treeless;  high  cliffs,  set 
with  pinnacles  and  towers,  and  narrow  side  canons,  are  its  salient  features. 

From  the  foot  of  Red  Canon  to  the  Gate  of  Lodore,  a  distance  of  more 
than  thirty  miles,  the  river  runs  through  a  valley  known  as  Brown's  Park, 
five  or  six  miles  wide,  and  enclosed  by  mountains.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that 
the  central  line  of  this  valley  corresponds  to  the  axis  of  the  fold;  that  is, 
had  the  fold  been  made,  and  left  without  erosion,  the  very  summit  would 
have  been  directly  above  the  deepest  part  of  the  park. 

When  we  enter  the  Gate  of  Lodore,  we  are  in  rocks  dipping  to  the 
south,  having  crossed  the  axis  of  the  fold.  From  here  to  Split  Mountain 
Canon  the  general  course  is  southwest,  hence  not  directly  across  the  dip,  but 


158     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

passing  obliquely  through  the  formations.  The  great  billow  or  wave  has  a 
rippled  surface,  or  wavelets  are  formed  across  it,  some  of  which  have  their 
axis  nearly  at  right  angles  to  that  of  the  great  fold,  others  more  or  less 
oblique. 

Split  Mountain  Canon  is  cut  lengthwise  through  one  of  the  rock  wave 
lets,  a  southward  spur  of  the  Uintas.  The  course  of  the  river  does  not 
chance  to  be  in  the  direction  of  the  billow  for  its  whole  length,  but,  running 
down  the  wavelet  for  a  few  miles,  it  runs  out  of  it  to  the  right,  where  it 
passes  through  Island  Park,  then  into  it  again  at  the  head  of  Split  Mountain 
Canon,  and  then  it  divides  the  fold  by  a  gorge  to  its  foot. 

Leaving  Split  Mountain  Canon,  and  entering  the  valley  below,  we  run 
into  a  down-turned  wrinkle,  or,  in  the  language  of  the  geologist,  into  a 
synclinal  fold.  The  axis  of  the  fold  is  parallel  to  the  Uinta  Mountains. 
The  valley  of  the  Uinta,  on  the  west,  and  the  valley  of  White  River,  on  the 
east,  mark,  in  a  general  way,  the  bed  of  this  down-turned  wrinkle;  and 
still  continuing  to  the  south,  we  pass  into  another  up-turned  fold. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  the  cutting  off  of  the  fold  has  left  the 
upturned  edges  of  the  formations  exposed  to  view.  Some  of  these  beds  are 
quite  hard,  others  are  composed  of  very  soft  material,  so  there  are  alternat 
ing  beds  of  harder  and  softer  rocks  running  in  an  easterly  and  westerly 
direction,  both  on  the  north  and  south  side  of  the  range.  The  soft  rocks, 
yielding  much  more  readily  to  atmospheric  degradation,  have  been  washed 
out  in  irregular  valleys,  between  intervening  ridges  of  harder  rock,  so  that 
we  have  a  series  of  nearly  parallel  valleys,  and  also  a  series  of  intervening 
parallel  ridges,  and  both  valleys  and  ridges  are  approximately  parallel  to  the 
range.  But  as  the  great  fold  of  the  Uinta  Mountains  is  greatly  complicated 
by  minor  oblique  and  transverse  flexures,  while  the  general  direction  of 
these  ridges  is  as  described,  they  are  turned  back  and  forth  from  these  lines 
in  gentle  or  abrupt  curves.  These  ridges  are  sometimes  low  mountain 
ranges. 

So,  if  we  approach  these  mountains  from  either  direction,  north  or 
south,  we  first  meet  with  ridges,  or,  as  they  are  usually  called  in  the  western 
country,  hog-backs.  In  many  places  these  are  so  steep  as  to  form  a  com 
plete  barrier  to  progress. 


INTER-HOG-BACK  VALLEYS.  159 

Usually  the  slope  away  from  the  side  of  the  mountain  corresponds 
above  with  the  dip  of  the  rock,  and  is  gentle  or  steep,  as  the  dip  is  lesser 
or  greater.  The  side  of  the  hog-back,  next  to  the  mountain,  is  composed 
of  the  cut  edges  of  the  strata,  and  varies  greatly  with  the  texture  of  the 
rock,  but  usually  it  is  steep  or  broken,  sometimes  buttressed,  sometimes  ter 
raced,  sometimes  columned  and^fluted. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Yampa  Plateau,  near  the  head  of  Cliff  Creek 
Valley,  there  is  an  abrupt,  oblique  flexure,  on  the  side  of  the  great  fold,  by 
which  the  rocks  are  turned  up,  so  as  to  stand  vertically.  In  the  rocks  at 
this  place  there  are  two  very  hard  conglomerates ;  the  intervening  strata  are 
soft  sandstones  and  marls,  and  have  been  carried  away,  and  the  conglomer 
ates  stand  as  vertical  walls,  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  thickness,  fifty  to  three 
hundred  feet  in  height,  and  several  miles  in  length,  and  between  these  is  a 
broad  avenue,  or  narrow  valley,  beset  with  ragged  boulders  of  conglomerate. 

The  drainage  of  these  narrow  valleys  between  the  hog-backs  is  not 
always  along  their  lengths,  but  the  water  is  sometimes  carried  by  channels 
crossing  them  and  cutting  through  intervening  ridges ;  hence  there  are  num 
bers  of  transverse  streams  and  wet  weather  channels  running  across  valleys 
and  through  ridges. 

Now,  if  the  great  axis  of  the  Uinta  Fold  was  everywhere  the  summit 
of  a  water-shed,  we  should  mid  the  streams  heading  along  that  irregular 
line  running  off  to  the  flank  of  the  fold  on  either  side ;  but,  as  the  fold  is 
bisected  by  Green  River,  some  of  the  minor  water  courses,  especially  those 
near  the  river,  and  those  near  the  center  of  the  fold,  follow  the  strike  of  the 
rocks  directly  into  that  stream.  On  the  north  side,  some  head  back  near 
the  summit  of  the  fold,  and  run  to  the  north,  crossing  the  hog-backs  in  a 
direction  with  the  dip,  and  then  turn,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  and  run 
into  the  Green,  where  the  waters  take  a  general  southerly  direction.  Others, 
again,  head  back  on  the  hog-backs,  or  even  beyond  them,  on  the  plains  and 
the  bad-lands  to  the  north,  and  cut  quite  through  the  hog-backs  and  mount 
ains  in  a  direction  against  the  dip  of  the  rocks,  and  empty  into  the  Green. 
This  is  especially  true  where  the  river  has  its  easterly  and  westerly  direc 
tion  through  Brown's  Park.  On  the  other  side  of  the  range,  streams  head 
high  up  in  the  mountains,  and  cut  directly  or  obliquely  against  the  upturned 


160  EXPLOBATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

edges  of  the  strata,  and  run  in  a  general  direction  with  the  dip  of  the  strata 
until  they  reach  the  long  valleys  between  hog-backs,  then  down  these  valleys 
they  turn,  sometimes  cutting  through  intervening  ridges,  until  they  find 
their  way  into  the  Green,  where  they  are  turned  to  the  south,  away  from 
the  mountain. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  relation  of  the  direction  of  the  streams  to 
the  dip  of  the  rocks  is  very  complex,  and,  for  convenience  of  description,  I 
have  elsewhere  classified  these  valleys,  on  the  basis  of  these  relations,  in  the 
following  manner : 

Order  first.  Transverse  valleys,  having  a  direction  at  right  angles  to  the 
strike. 

Order  second.  Longitudinal  valleys,  having  a  direction  the  same  as  the 
strike. 

Of  the  first  order,  three  varieties  are  noticed: 
a,  diaclinal,  those  which  pass  through  a  fold.     (Fig.  53.) 
&,  cataclinal,  valleys  that  run  in  the  direction  of  the  dip.     (Fig.  54.) 
c,  anaclinal,  valleys  that  run  against  the  dip  of  the  beds.     (Fig.  57.) 
Of  the  second  order,  we  have,  also,  three  varieties: 
Aj  anticlinal  valleys,  which  follow  anticlinal  axes.     (Fig.  55.) 
Bj  synclinal  valleys,  which  follow  synclinal  axes.     (Fig.  56.) 
(7,  monoclinal  valleys,  which  run  in  the  direction  of  the  strike  between 
the  axes  of  the  fold — one  side  of  the  valley  formed  of  the  summits  of  the 
beds,  the  other  composed  of  the  cut  edges  of  the  formation.     (Fig.  58.) 

Many  of  the  valleys  are  thus  simple  in  their  relations  to  the  folds;  but, 
as  we  may  have  two  systems  of  displacements,  a  valley  may  belong  to  one 
class,  in  relation  to  one  fold,  and  to  another  in  its  relation  to  a  second.  Such 
we  designate  as  complex  valleys. 

Again,  a  valley  may  belong  to  one  class  in  one  part  of  its  course  and 
to  another  elsewhere  in  its  course.  Such  we  designate  as  compound  valleys. 
It  will  be  further  noticed  that  valleys  may  have  many  branches,  but,  in 
relegating  a  valley  to  its  class,  we  consider  only  the  stem  of  the  valley 
proper,  and  not  its  branches. 

A  great  diversity  in  the  features  of  all  these  valleys  is  observed.  Most 
of  these  modifications  are  due  to  three  principal  causes:  First,  a  greater  or 


Figure  53. — A  Diaclinal  Valley. 


Figure  54. — A  Cataclinal  Valley. 


Figure  55. — An  Auticliual  Valley,  with  section. 


Figure  56. — A  Synclinal  Valley. 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  VALLEYS.  161 

lesser  inclination  of  the  rocks.  Second,  the  texture  of  the  beds — that  is, 
their  greater  or  lesser  degree  of  heterogeneity.  The  third  class  of  modify 
ing  influences  is  found  in  the  eruptive  beds. 

The  last  mentioned  agencies  are  not  found  in  the  region  under  imme 
diate  discussion. 

No  sharp  line  of  division  can  Jbe  drawn  between  canons  and  valleys. 
For  convenience,  we  designate  intervening  depressions,  caused  by  erosion, 
canon  valleys,  but  all  these  excavated  basins,  troughs,  and  channels  will  be 
included  under  the  general  head  of  valleys,  and  the  above  terms  will  be 
used  in  describing  them. 

I  should  remark,  farther,  that  species  are  not  found  in  structural  geology, 
if  we  use  that  term  as  it  has  heretofore  been  used  in  the  description  of  organic 
nature;  that  is,  there  are  no  definite  "hard  and  fast"  lines  of  demarkation 
between  valleys  of  one  class  and  those  of  another,  and  the  classification 
rests  solely  on  typical  examples. 

With  these  terms  before  us,  let  us  again  describe  the  valleys  of  the 
Uinta  Mountains. 

The  canons  through  which  the  river  passes  from  Flaming  Gorge  to  Bee 
Hive  Point  are  anaclinal.  Red  Canon  is  obliquely  anaclinal;  Brown's  Park 
is  anticlinal;  the  Canon  of  Lodore  is  cataclinal;  Whirlpool  Canon  above  is 
anaclinal  where  it  runs  into  a  fold,  and  then  obliquely  cataclinal  in  cutting 
through  the  other  side  of  the  fold. 

Split  Mountain  Canon  is  at  first  anaclinal,  then  along  its  central  course 
anticlinal,  and  at  its  foot,  where  it  runs  out  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fold, 
is  cataclinal;  hence  it  is  structurally  compound.  This  is  the  relation  it  bears 
to  the  minor  fold  of  Split  Mountain;  but  it  bears  another  relation  to  the 
great  fold  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  and  is  complex.  Hence  it  is  a  com 
pound,  complex  valley. 

The  canons  and  valleys  heading  near  the  summit  of  the  range  running 
with  the  strike  of  the  rocks  into  Green  River,  as  above  mentioned,  are  onono- 
clinal.  A  good  example  of  this  is  Summit  Valley.  Those  on  the  north, 
which  head  near  the  summit  of  the  range,  and,  running  down  the  flank,  turn 
into  Green  River,  are,  in  their  upper  courses,  cataclinal,  and  when  they  turn 
to  follow  the  strike  of  the  rocks  into  Green  River,  are  monoclinal.  Those 
21  COL 


162  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

which  head  back  in  the  plains  and  bad-lands,  and  cut  across  ridges  and 
through  mountains,  are  anaclinal,  while  those  on  the  south  side,  which  head 
near  the  summits  of  the  mountains,  and  roll  down  to  the  foot  of  the  range, 
and  then  turn  off  into  the  Green,  are  also  cataclinal  above,  and  monoclinal 
below. 

Taking  the  general  course  of  Green  River  through  the  Uinta  Mount 
ains,  without  regard  to  the  several  portions,  as  above  mentioned,  it  would 
be  described  as  diaclinal. 

The  explanation  of  the  canons  of  Green  River  will  assist  us  in  under 
standing  the  origin  of  the  lateral  valleys  and  canons.  The  streams  were 
there  before  the  mountains  were  made — that  is,  the  streams  carved  out  the 
valleys,  and  left  the  mountains.  The  direction  of  the  streams  is  indubitable 
evidence  that  the  elevation  of  the  fold  was  so  slow  as  not  to  divert  the 
streams,  although  the  total  amount  of  elevation  was  many  thousands  of  feet. 
Had  the  fold  been  lifted  more  rapidly  than  the  principal  streams  could  have 
cut  their  channels,  Green  River  would  have  been  turned  about  it,  and  all 
the  smaller  streams  and  water-ways  would  have  been  cataclinal. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  study  of  the  structural  characteristics  of  the  valleys 
and  canons  teaches  us,  in  no  obscure  way,  the  relation  between  the  prog 
ress  of  upheaval  and  that  of  erosion  and  corrasion,  showing  that  these 
latter  were  parl  passu  with  the  former,  and  that  the  agencies  of  nature  pro 
duce  great  results — results  no  less  than  the  carving  of  a  mountain  range  out 
of  a  much  larger  block  lifted  from  beneath  the  sea;  not  by  an  extravagant 
and  violent  use  of  power,  but  by  the  slow  agencies  which  may  be  observed 
generally  throughout  the  world,  still  acting  in  the  same  slow,  patient  manner. 

There  are  yet  some  interesting  facts  to  be  observed  concerning  these 
inter-hog-back  valleys.  Their  floors  are  usually  lower  than  the  general 
surface  farther  away  from  the  mountains.  There  seem  to  be  two  causes  for 
this.  The  great  fold  having  been  lifted  and  truncated  prior  to  the  exposure 
of  the  rocks  farther  away  from  the  mountains,  its  strata  present  their  edges, 
instead  of  their  upper  surfaces,  to  the  down  falling  rain,  and  the  softer  beds 
are  not  so  well  shielded  by  the  harder.  Erosion  hence  progresses  more 
rapidly  than  where  the  beds  are  approximately  horizontal. 

Again,  the  mountains,  with  peaks  among  the  clouds,  condense  their 


Fignre  59. — Horse-Shoe  Cafion. 


ANTECEDENT  AND  CONSEQUENT  VALLEYS.         163' 

moisture,  and  a  greater  quantity  of  rain  falls  on  them,  or  in  their  vicinity. 
The  region  of  country  adjacent  to  the  mountains  receives  a  portion  of  this 
extra  rain-fall,  so  that  this  dynamic  agency  increases  from  the  plains  to  the 
summits  of  the  mountains,  probably  in  some  direct  ratio.  This  increase  of 
the  eroding  agency,  and  the  greater  exposure  of  the  soft  beds,  probably 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  the  lowest  country  is  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains. 

There  is  a  limit  to  the  effect  of  these  conditions,  for  it  should  be 
observed  no  valley  can  be  eroded  below  the  level  of  the  principal  stream, 
which  carries  away  the  products  of  its  surface  degradation;  and  where  the 
floor  of  such  a  valley  has  been  cut  down  nearly  to  the  level  of  such  a 
stream,  it  receives  the  debris  of  the  adjacent  cliffs  and  mountains,  and  in  this 
way  the  rocks  composing  the  floor  are  usually  masked,  to  a  greater  or  lesser 
extent.  The  same  topographic  facts,  under  like  conditions,  are  found  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  Colorado  Territory,  and  the 
valleys  which  run  into  the  South  Platte  from  the  south,  between  the  hog 
backs,  are  lower  than  the  mesas  and  plateaus  farther  away  from  the  mount 
ains,  but  not  lower  than  the  flood  plain  of  the  river. 

I  have  endeavored  above  to  explain  the  relation  of  the  valleys  of  the 
Uinta  Mountains  to  the  stratigraphy,  or  structural  geology,  of  the  region, 
and,  further,  to  state  the  conclusion  reached,  that  the  drainage  was  estab 
lished  antecedent  to  the  corrugation  or  displacement  of  the  beds  by  faulting 
and  folding.  I  propose  to  call  such  valleys,  including  the  orders  and  vari 
eties  before  mentioned,  antecedent  valleys. 

In  other  parts  of  the  mountain  region  of  the  west,  valleys  are  found 
having  directions  dependent  on  corrugation.  I  propose  to  call  these  conse 
quent  valleys.  Such  valleys  have  been  observed  only  in  limited  areas,  and 
have  not  been  thoroughly  studied,  and  I  omit  further  discussion  of  them. 

In  the  great  metamorphic  belt  extending  through  the  Territory  of  Col 
orado,  comprising  the  Rocky  Mountain  chain  of  this  Territory,  the  structural 
geology  is  exceedingly  complex,  while  the  drainage  is  comparatively  simple, 
and  only  to  a  limited  extent  does  it  seem  to  be  governed  by  geological 
structure.  The  conclusions  to  which  I  arrived  were  that  the  present  drain 
age  was  established  in  rocks  now  earned  away  from  the  higher  regions,  but 
still  seen  to  be  turned  up  against  the  flanks  of  most  of  the  ranges. 


164  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

A  part  of  the  district  in  which  my  observations  were  made  has  since 
been  much  more  thoroughly  studied  by  Mr.  Archibald  R.  Marvine,  one  of 
the  geologists  of  the  First  Division  of  the  "  Geological  and  Geographical 
Survey  of  the  Territories."  In  his  report  of  June  19,  1874,  he  says: 

"Three  causes  combine  to  render  the  rapid  study  of  the  stratigraphy 
of  the  archsean  rocks  difficult  and  its  results  uncertain:  First,  their  structure 
is  not  only  often  complex,  but  obscure,  the  evidence  of  it  being  at  times 
nearly  or  wholly  obliterated  by  the  metamorphism,  and  often  over  large 
areas  very  difficult  to  find;  second,  this  metamorphism  renders  lithological 
characters  inconstant,  so  that  a  stratum  that  at  one  point  may  be  character 
istic  among  its  neighbors,  may,  at  another,  become  like  them,  or  all  may 
change  so  as  to  retain  none  of  their  geological  features,  becoming  again 
like  other  series,  so  that  lithological  resemblances  cannot  often  be  taken  as 
a  guide  to  follow,  and  may  even  become  misleading;  third,  the  erosion  pro 
ducing  the  present  surface  features  of  the  mountain  region  had  the  direction 
of  its  action  determined  by  movements  of  the  surface  which  were  not 
closely  connected  with  the  extended  plications  of  its  rocks;  and,  moreover, 
since  this  erosion  has  not  long  been  acting  among  these  rocks,  there  appears 
no  well  defined  connection  between  the  topography  and  the  structural 
geology.  The  ancient  erosion  gradually  wore  down  the  mass  to  the  surface 
of  the  sea,  and  while  previously  to  this  it  was  no  doubt  directed  by  the 
structure,  yet  the  mass  was  finally  leveled  off  irrespective  of  structure  or 
relative  hardness  of  its  beds  by  the  encroaching  ocean,  which  worked  over 
its  ruins  and  laid  them  down  upon  the  smoothed  surface  in  the  form  of  the 
Triassic  and  other  beds.  The  recent  great  uplift,  while  it  probably  added 
new  plications  to  the  accumulated  plications  of  the  past  in  the  ancient 
rocks,  was  quite  simple  with  respect  to  their  total  plication,  and  left  the 
upper  Triassic  and  other  sedimentary  beds  comparatively  simply  structured, 
they  having  been  affected  alone  by  the  later  movements. 

"As  the  mass  appeared  above  the  sea  and  surface  erosion  once  more 
commenced,  but  which  now  acts  upon  the  recent  rocks  covering  probably 
in  greater  part  the  complex  underlying  rocks,  it  was  directed  off  from  the 
line  of  greater  uplift  down  the  long  slopes  of  the  rising  continent  to  the 
retiring  sea.  The  channels  of  drainage  started  were  directed  solely  by  the 


MARVINE  ON  SUPERIMPOSED  VALLEYS.  165 

structure  and  characters  of  the  upper  rocks,  and  when  they  gradually  cut 
down  through  these  and  commenced  sinking  their  canons  into  the  under 
lying  complicated  rocks,  these  canons  bore  no  relation  whatever  to  their 
complications.  It  is  but  recently  that  the  upper  rocks  have  been  completely 
removed  from  the  summits  of  the  mountain-spurs,  the  ancient  level  of  sub 
aqueous  erosion  being  still  indicated  by  the  often  uniform  level  of  the  spurs 
and  hill-tops  over  considerable  areas,  and  large  plateau-like  regions  which 
became  very  marked  from  certain  points  of  view.  Two  or  three  such  levels 
are  indicated  at  a  few  places,  showing  not  only  that  the  sedimentaries  have 
once  extended  up  over  what  are  now  the  mountain  rocks,  but  that  the  uplift 
ing  has  been  mainly  confined  along  certain  partly  well-defined  lines,  the 
intermediate  belts,  though  uplifted  bodily,  remaining  comparatively  level,  a 
type  of  folding,  probably,  not  uncommon  farther  west,  and  which  will  be 
referred  to  again  in  the  following  chapter. 

******* 

"It  is  true  that  the  structure  of  the  lower  rocks  has  begun  to  affect  the 
courses  of  the  streams,  and  in  places  to  a  considerable  extent.  Meeting  a 
softer  bed  a  canon  will  often  have  its  course  directed  by  it,  and  follow  it 
for  some  distance,  leaving  the  adjacent  harder  beds  plainly  indicated  by  the 
ridges,  and  sometimes  the  sinuosities  of  structure  are  very  curiously  fol 
lowed  by  a  stream  in  all  its  windings,  but  it  soon  breaks  away  and  runs 
independently  of  the  bedding.  Many  of  the  smaller  ravines  have  had  their 
positions  determined  by  the  structure;  but  in  a  broad  sense  the  drainage  is 
from  the  main  mountain  crest  eastward,  independent  of  structure.  Thus, 
while  in  places  geological  features  may  find  expression  in  surface  form,  yet, 
as  often,  there  may  be  no  conceivable  relation  between  topography  and 
geology.  The  subaqueous  erosion,  in  smoothing  all  to  a  common  level, 
destroys  all  former  surface  expression  of  geological  character,  and  the 
present  erosion  has  not  yet  been  in  progress  sufficiently  long  to  recreate  the 
lost  features." 

I  fully  concur  with  Mr.  Marvine  in  the  above  explanation  of  the  valleys 
in  the  main  Rocky  Mountains  of  Colorado,  as  my  own  observations  in  that 
country  had  led  me  to  the  same  conclusion.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  present  courses  of  the  streams  were  determined  by  conditions  not  found 


1  66  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CAJStONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

in  the  rocks  through  which  the  channels  are  now  carved,  but  that  the  beds 
in  which  the  streams  had  their  origin  when  the  district  last  appeared  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  have  been  swept  away.  I  propose  to  call  such  super 
imposed  valleys.  Thus  the  valleys  under  consideration,  if  classified  on  the 
basis  of  their  relation  to  the  rocks  in  which  they  originated,  would  be  called 
consequent  valleys,  but  if  classified  on  the  basis  of  their  relation  to  the  rocks 
in  which  they  are  now  found,  would  be  called  superimposed  valleys. 

Recurring  again  to  the  valleys  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  it  may  be  well 
to  remark  here  that,  coming  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  study  of  the 
Uinta  Mountains,  I  at  first  supposed  that  the  valleys  of  this  region  also  were 
superimposed  upon  the  rocks  now  seen,  but  gradually,  on  a  more  thorough 
study,  the  hypothesis  was  found  to  be  not  only  inadequate  to  the  explana 
tion  of  the  facts,  but  to  be  entirely  inconsistent  with  them;  and  again  and 
again  I  visited  the  region,  and  re-examined  the  facts,  and  at  last  reached  the 
conclusion  which  I  have  heretofore  stated. 

A  brief  reference  to  the  character  of  this  evidence  may  not  be  out  of 
place  here,  though  I  reserve  the  subject  for  a  more  full  discussion  in  my 
report  on  the  geology  of  the  Uinta  Mountains.  If  the  valleys  were  super 
imposed  on  the  present  rocks,  they  must  be  consequent  to  rocks  which  have 
been  carried  away;  but  the  valleys  consequent  upon  the  corrugation,  which 
was  one  of  the  conditions  of  the  origin  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  could  not 
have  taken  the  direction  observed  in  this  system;  they  would  have  all  been 
cataclinal,  as  they  ran  down  from  the  mountains,  and  turned  into  synclinal 
valleys  at  the  foot,  forming  a  very  different  system  from  that  which  now 
obtains.  Again,  the  later  sedimentary  beds,  both  to  the  north  and  south, 
were  found  not  to  have  been  continuous  over  the  mountain  system,  but  to 
have  been  deposited  in  waters  whose  shores  were  limited  by  the  lower 
reaches  of  the  range;  that  is,  they  all  gave  evidence  of  littoral  origin,  and, 
further,  that  the  principal  canons  through  the  mountains  had  been  carved 
nearly  to  their  present  depth  before  the  last  of  these  sediments  were 
deposited. 

BAD-LANDS    AND    ALCOVE    LANDS    SOUTH    OF    THE    UINTA    MOUNTAINS. 

South  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  and  beyond  the  hog-backs  on  either 
side  of  the  river,  is  a  district  known  to  the  Indians  as  Wa-ka-ri' -chits,  or  the 


TEEEACE  CANONS.  167 

Yellow  Hills.  This  country  is  elaborately  embossed  with  low,  rounded, 
naked  hills.  The  rocks  from  which  they  are  carved  are  yellow  clays  and 
shales.  Some,  few  of  the  shales  are  slate  colored,  others  pink ;  none  so  glar 
ing  and  brilliant  as  the  bad-lands  of  Black's  Fork,  but  the  tints  are  soft  and 
delicate.  The  whole  country  is  carved  by  a  net-work  of  water-ways,  which 
descend  rapidly  toward  Green  River,  and  the  intervening  hills  are  entirely 
destitute  of  vegetation.  Looking  at  it  from  an  eminence,  and  in  the  light 
of  the  mid-day  sun,  it  appears  like  a  billowy  sea  of  molten  gold. 

To  the  south  of  these  yellow  hills,  and  separated  from  them  by  a  gently 
curved,  but  well  defined  ridge  of  upturned  sandstone,  there  is  a  broad 
stretch  of  red  and  buff  colored  bad-lands.  Some  of  the  beds  are  highly 
bituminous,  and  a  fresh  fracture  reveals  a  black  surface,  but  usually  they 
weather  gray.  Where  these  bituminous  rocks  are  found,  hills  and  mesas  are 
seen,  covered,  more  or  less,  with  vegetation,  and  the  bad-land  forms  disap 
pear.  Still  farther  to  the  south,  across  White  River,  we  find  a  continuation 
of  these  beds,  but  here  more  shaly,  and  interstratified  with  harder  beds, 
and  the  alcove  structure  appears,  somewhat  like  that  in  the  Alcove  Land 
near  Green  River  Station.  These  White  River  alcove  lands  were,  by  Gen 
eral  Hughes,  named  "  Goblin  City." 

THE    TERRACE    CANONS   AND    CLIFFS. 

A  few  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Uinta,  Green  River  enters  the 
Canon  of  Desolation.  The  walls  of  this  gorge  steadily  increase  in  altitude 
to  its  foot,  where  it  terminates  abruptly  at  the  Brown  Cliffs;  then  the  river 
immediately  enters  Gray  Canon,  with  low  walls,  steadily  increasing  in  alti 
tude  until  the  foot  is  reached,  where  it  terminates  abruptly  at  the  Book  Cliffs. 
In  like  manner  the  walls  of  Labyrinth  Canon  are  low  above,  and  increase 
in  altitude  as  we  descend  the  river,  until  the  canon  terminates  as  those  above, 
in  a  line  of  cliffs.  To  these  last  we  have  given  the  name  Orange  Cliffs. 

We  sometimes  call  these  the  Terrace  Canons.  They  are  cut  through 
three  great  inclined  plateaus. 

Conceive  of  three  geographic  terraces,  many  hundred  feet  high,  and 
many  miles  in  width,  forming  a  great  stairway,  from  the  Toom'-pin  Wu- 
near'  Tu-weap',  below,  to  the  valley  of  the  Uinta,  above.  The  lower  step 


168  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

of  this  stairway,  the  Orange  Cliffs,  is  more  than  one  thousand  two  hundred 
feet  high,  and  the  step  itself  is  two  or  three  score  miles  in  width.  The  second 
step,  the  Book  Cliffs,  is  two  thousand  feet  high,  or  more,  and  a  score  of 
miles  in  width.  The  third,  or  upper  step,  is  more  than  two  thousand  feet 
high.  Passing  along  this  step,  for  two  or  three  score  miles,  we  reach  the 
valley  of  the  Uinta;  but  this  valley  is  not  five  or  six  thousand  feet  higher 
than  the  Toom'-pin  Wit-near*  Tu-weap',  for  the  stairway  is  tipped  backward. 

Climb  the  Orange  Cliffs,  1,200  feet  high,  and  go  north  to  the  foot  of 
the  Book  Cliffs,  and  you  have  gradually  descended,  so  that  at  the  foot  of 
the  Book  Cliffs  you  are  not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  above  the  foot  of  the 
Orange  Cliffs  In  like  manner  the  foot  of  the  Brown  Cliffs  is  but  200  feet 
higher  than  the  foot  of  the  Book  Cliffs,  and  the  valley  of  the  Uinta  is  not 
quite  three  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  foot  of  the  Brown  Cliffs. 

To  go  by  land  from  the  valley  of  White  Eiver  to  the  Toom'-pin  Wu-near' 
Tu-weap'j  you  must  gradually,  almost  imperceptibly  climb  as  you  pass  to  the 
south,  for  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty  miles,  until  you  attain  an  altitude  of 
two  thousand  five  hundred  or  three  thousand  feet  above  the  starting  point. 
Then  you  descend  from  the  first  terrace,  by  an  abrupt  step,  to  a  lower. 
Still  continuing  to  the  south,  you  gradually  climb  again,  until  you  attain  an 
altitude  of  more  than  a  thousand  feet,  when  you  arrive  at  the  brink  of 
another  cliff,  and  descend  abruptly  to  the  top  of  the  lowest  terrace.  Still 
extending  your  travels  in  the  same  direction,  you  climb  gradually  for  a  third 
time,  until  you  reach  the  brink  of  the  third  line  of  cliffs,  or  the  edge  of  the 
escarpment  of  the  lower  terrace,  and  here  you  descend  by  another  sudden 
step  to  the  plane  of  the  river,  at  the  foot  of  Labyrinth  Canon.  In  coming 
down  by  the  river,  of  course  you  do  not  ascend,  but  you  pass  these  terraces 
along  the  plane  of  the  river,  the  upper  terrace,  through  the  Canon  of  Deso 
lation,  the  middle  terrace  through  Gray  Canon,  and  the  third  through 
Labyrinth  Canon. 

The  beds,  or  series  of  rocks,  through  which  Labyrinth  Canon  is  cut, 
extend  under  the  beds  of  Gray  Canon,  and  these  run  under  the  beds  of  the 
Canon  of  Desolation.  At  one  time  the  Desolation  series  and  the  Gray 
Cafton  series  extended  over  the  Labyrinth  Canon  series,  but  they  have  been 
washed  away. 


PLATEAUS  AND  HOG-BACKS.  169 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  the  description  of  the  country  lying  to 
the  north  of  Red  Canon  and  Brown's  Park,  it  was  explained  that  ridges 
were  formed  by  the  unequal  progress  of  erosion  through  the  upturned  edges 
of  the  formations  lying  on  the  flank  of  the  fold. 

Thus  ridges  are  seen  where  the  dip  of  the  rocks  is  at  a  higfc  angle — 
often  twenty  to  forty  five  degrees;  but  where  the  dip  is  at  a  low  angle — from 
one  to  five  degrees — such  ridges  are  not  found;  the  cut  edges  of  the  forma 
tions  stand  in  steep  escarpments,  or  lines  of  cliffs,  while  the  slope  of  the 
summit  of  the  formation  is  very  gentle,  so  that  when  you  climb  one  cliff  the 
descent  is  almost  imperceptible  to  the  foot  of  another.  (Compare  lines  of 
cliffs,  seen  in  Figure  61,  with  hog-back  cliffs,  seen  in  Figure  52.) 

In  passing  through  the  last  three  canons,  we  have  observed  that  the 
rocks  have  thus  gently  dipped  to  the  north,  and  so,  in  following  the  river  to 
the  south,  we  are  constantly  running  into  rocks  of  lower  geological  position 
and  greater  age.  In  this  way  we  are  able  to  study  successive  beds  from 
higher  to  lower,  as  we  would  should  we  descend  a  shaft  many  thousands  of 
feet  in  depth,  as  previously  explained. 

Expand  a  fold  like  that  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  where  the  rocks  dip 
from  ten  to  ninety  degrees,  to  a  more  gentle  curve,  where  the  rocks  dip  at 
a  much  smaller  angle,  so  that  the  inclination  is  scarcely  perceptible  to  the 
eye,  and  can  only  be  determined  by  an  extended  leveling  and  tracing 
of  the  strata,  and  the  hog-backs  are  thrown  farther  apart.  The  escarpments 
of  these  hog-backs,  facing  the  axis  of  the  fold,  are  still  lines  of  cliffs;  but 
the  slopes  on  the  opposite  sides  are  so  gently  inclined  as  not,  at  once,  to  be 
apparent,  and  the  streams  heading  near  the  brink  of  the  cliffs,  and  running 
down  the  gentle  slope  away  from  this  line,  excavate  their  own  valleys  and 
canons,  and  so  break  up  the  plane  of  this  slope  that  its  inclination  is  not  at 
once  observed;  in  fact,  it  can  only  be  discovered  as  a  generalization  from  a 
careful  study,  and  such  an  inclined  plateau,  when  seen  from  the  side  away 
from  the  axis  of  plication,  would  usually  be  considered  a  range  of  mount 
ains.  Yet  it  has  some  features  which  readily  distinguish  it.  The  peaks 
are  low  mountains  and  hills,  bordering  the  foot  of  the  slope,  and  the  table 
lands  are  beyond  and  above  them,  near  the  crest  of  the  cliffs  which  face  the 
axis. 

22  COL 


170  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

The  bird's-eye  view  (Figure  61)  is  intended  to  show  these  topographic 
features.  The  escarpment  below,  and  in  the  foreground,  represents  the 
Orange  Cliffs,  at  the  foot  of  Labyrinth  Canon;  the  second  escarpment,  the 
Book  Cliffs,  at  the  foot  of  Gray  Canon;  the  third,  away  in  the  distance, 
the  Brown  Cliffs,  at  the  foot  of  the  Canon  of  Desolation.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  three  tables  incline  to  the  north,  and  are  abruptly  terminated  by 
cliffs  on  the  south.  For  want  of  space  the  whole  view  is  shortened. 

In  the  three  canons  there  are  three  distinct  series  of  beds,  belonging  to 
three  distinct  geological  periods.  In  the  Canon  of  Desolation  we  have  Ter 
tiary  sandstones;  in  Gray  Caiion,  Cretaceous  sandstones,  shales,  and  impure 
limestones;  between  the  head  of  Labyrinth  Caiion  and  the  foot  of  Gray 
Caiion,  rocks  of  Cretaceous  and  Jurassic  Age  are  found,  but  they  are  soft, 
and  have  not  withstood  the  action  of  the  water  so  as  to  form  a  canon. 

These  formations  differ  not  only  in  geological  age,  but  also  in  structure 
and  color.  It  will  be  interesting  to  notice  how  these  structural  differences 
affect  the  general  contour  of  the  country,  and  modify  its  scenic  aspects. 

In  the  description  of  the  three  cafions  in  the  history  of  their  explor 
ation,  the  attentive  reader  has  already  noticed  the  great  variety  of  geological 
and  topographic  features  observed  as  we  passed  along. 

Let  us  now  take  a  view  of  the  three  lines  of  cliffs.  The  Brown  Cliffs 
are  apparently  built  of  huge  blocks  of  rock,  exhibiting  plainly  the  lines 
of  stratification.  The  beds  are  usually  massive  and  hard,  and  break  with 
an  angular  fracture.  The  whole  is  very  irregular,  and  set  with  crags,  towers, 
and  pinnacles.  The  upper  beds  of  the  Book  Cliffs  are  somewhat  like  those 
last  described,  and  they  form  a  cap  to  extensive  laminated  beds  of  blue 
shales,  in  which  we  see  exhibited  the  curious  effects  of  rain  sculpture.  The 
whole  face  of  the  rock  is  set  with  buttresses,  and  these  are  carved  with  a 
fret-work  of  raised  and  rounded  lines,  that  extend  up  and  down  the  face  of 
the  rock,  and  unite  below  in  large  ridges.  The  little  valleys  between  these 
ridgelets  are  the  channels  of  rills  that  roll  down  the  rocks  during  the  storms, 
and  from  one  standpoint  you  may  look  upon  millions  of  these  little  water 
ways. 

Labyrinth  Canon  is  cut  through  a  homogeneous  sandstone.  The  fea 
tures  of  the  canon  itself  have  been  described,  but  the  cliffs  with  which  it 


Figure  61.— Bird's-eye  view  of  the  Terrace  Canons. 


ARIDITY  AND  EROSION.  171 

terminates  present  characteristics  peculiar  to  themselves.  Below,  we  have 
rounded  buttresses,  and  mounds  and  hills  of  sand,  and  piles  of  great,  angu 
lar  blocks;  above,  the  walls  are  of  columnar  structure,  and  sometimes 
great  columns,  seen  from  a  distance,  appear  as  if  they  were  elaborately 
fluted.  The  brink  of  this  escarpment  is  a  well  defined  edge.  But  if  these 
formations  extended  over  the  underlying  beds  at  one  time,  and  if  they  have 
been  earned  away  by  rains  and  rivers,  why  has  not  the  country  between 
been  left  comparatively  level,  or  embossed  with  hills  separated  by  valleys? 
It  is  easy  to  see  that  a  river  may  cut  a  channel,  and  leave  its  banks  steep 
walls  of  rocks ;  but  that  rains,  which  are  evenly  distributed  over  a  district, 
should  dig  it  out  in  great  terraces,  is  not  so  easy  to  perceive. 

The  climate  is  exceedingly  arid,  and  the  scant  vegetation  furnishes  no 
protecting  covering  against  the  beating  storms.  But  though  little  rain  falls, 
that  which  does  is  employed  in  erosion  to  an  extent  difficult  to  appreciate  by 
one  who  has  only  studied  the  action  of  water  in  degrading  the  land  in  a 
region  where  grasses,  shrubs,  and  trees  bear  the  brunt  of  the  storm.  A 
little  shower  falls,  and  the  water  gathers  rapidly  into  streams,  and  plunges 
headlong  down  the  steep  slopes,  bearing  with  it  loads  of  sand,  and  for  a  few 
minutes,  or  a  few  hours,  the  district  is  traversed  by  brooks  and  creeks  and 
rivers  of  mud.  A  clear  stream  is  never  seen  without  going  up  to  a  moister 
region  on  some  high  mountain,  and  no  permanent  stream  is  found,  unless  it 
has  its  source  in  such  a  mountain.  In  a  country  well  supplied  with  rains, 
so  that  there  is  an  abundance  of  vegetation,  the  water  slowly  penetrates  the 
loose  soil,  and  gradually  disintegrates  the  underlying  solid  rock,  quite  as 
fast  as,  or  even  faster  than  it  is  carried  away  by  the  wash  of  the  rains,  and 
the  indurated  rock  has  no  greater  endurance  than  the  more  friable  shales 
and  sandstones ;  but  in  a  dry  climate,  the  softer  rocks  are  soon  carried  away, 
while  the  harder  rocks  are  washed  naked,  and  the  rains  make  but  slow 
progress  in  tearing  them  to  pieces. 

When  a  great  fold  emerges  from  the  sea,  or  rises  above  its  base  level 
of  erosion,*  the  axis  appears  above  the  water  (or  base  level)  first,  and  is 
immediately  attacked  by  the  rains,  and  its  sands  are  borne  off  to  form  new 
deposits.  It  has  before  been  explained  that  the  emergence  of  the  fold  is  but 

*  For  explanation  of  this  term,  " base  level  of  erosion,"  see  Chapter  XII. 


172  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

little  faster  than  the  degradation  of  its  surface,  but,  as  it  comes  up,  the 
wearing  away  is  extended  still  farther  out  on  the  flanks,  and  the  same  beds 
are  attacked  in  the  new  land  which  have  already  been  earned  away  nearer 
the  center  of  the  fold.  In  this  way  the  action  of  erosion  is  continued  on 
the  same  bed  from  the  up-turned  axis  toward  the  down-turned  axis,  and  it 
may  and  does  often  happen  that  any  particular  bed  may  be  entirely  carried 
away,  with  many  underlying  rocks,  near  the  former  line,  before  it  is  attacked 
near  the  latter.  Now,  as  the  beds  are  of  heterogeneous  structures,  some 
hard  and  others  soft,  the  harder  beds  withstand  the  action  of  the  storms, 
while  the  softer  beds  are  rapidly  carried  away. 

The  manner  in  which  these  beds  are  degraded  is  very  different.  The 
softer  are  washed  from  the  top,  but  the  harder  are  little  affected  by  the 
direct  action  of  the  waters — they  are  torn  down  by  another  process.  As 
the  softer  beds  disappear,  the  harder  are  undermined,  and  are  constantly 
breaking  down;  are  crushed,  more  or  less,  by  the  fall,  and  scattered  over, 
and  mingled  with  the  softer  beds,  and  are  carried  away  with  them.  But  the 
progress  of  this  undermining  and  digging  down  of  the  cliff  is  parallel  with 
the  upturned  axis  of  the  fold,  so  that  the  cliffs  face  such  an  axis. 

When  the  fold  is  abrupt,  so  that  the  rocks  on  either  side  are  made  to 
incline  at  a  great  angle,  ridges  are  formed,  and  this  topographic  structure  of 
a  country  may  be  found  even  in  a  land  of  rains,  though  the  ridges  will 
usually  be  low,  rounded,  and  more  or  less  irregular,  while  in  a  dry  climate 
they  will  be  steep  and  regular,  and  will  usually  culminate  above  in  a  sharp 
edge;  but  where  the  rocks  are  slightly  inclined,  terraces  will  be  formed,  with 
well  defined  escarpments. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  manner  in  which  the  textures  of  these  hard 
capping  rocks  affect  the  contours  of  the  cliffs.  When  the  hard  rocks  are 
separated  into  well  defined  layers,  or  beds,  the  cliffs  will  be  more  or  less 
terraced,  as  the  strata  vary  in  hardness.  This  is  well  seen  in  the  Brown 
Cliffs  and  the  upper  portion  of  the  Book  Cliffs.  In  the  last  mentioned  escarp 
ment  the  harder  beds  are  underlaid  by  soft,  bluish  shales,  which  appear 
below  in  the  beautifully  carved  buttresses. 

In  the  Orange  Cliffs  there  are  a  thousand  feet  of  homogeneous  light 
red  sandstone,  and  this  is  underlaid  by  beds  of  darker  red,  chocolate,  and 


THE  ORANGE  CLIFFS.  173 

lilac  colored  rocks,  very  distinctly  stratified.  The  dark  red  rocks  are  very 
hard,  the  chocolate  and  lilac  are  very  soft,  so  below  we  have  terraced  and 
buttressed  walls  and  huge  blocks  scattered  about,  which  have  fallen  from 
the  upper  part  of  the  escarpment.  The  homogeneous  sandstone  above  is 
slowly  undermined — so  slowly  that,  as  the  unsupported  rocks  yield  to  the 
force  of  gravity,  fissures  are  fornied  parallel  to  the  face  of  the  cliff.  Trans 
verse  vertical  fissures  are  also  formed,  and  thus  the  wall  has  a  columnar 
appearance,  like  an  escarpment  of  basalt,  but  on  a  giant  scale;  and  it  is 
these  columns  that  tumble  over  at  last,  and  break  athwart  into  the  huge 
blocks  which  are  strewn  over  the  lower  terraces. 

The  drainage  of  an  inclined  terrace  is  usually  from  the  brink  of  the 
cliff  toward  the  foot  of  the  terrace  above,  i.  e.,  in  the  direction  of  the  dip 
of  the  strata.  As  the  channels  of  these  intermittent  streams  approach  the 
upper  escarpment,  they  turn  and  run  along  its  foot  until  they  meet  with 
larger  and  more  permanent  streams,  which  run  against  the  dip  of  the  rock 
in  a  direction  opposite  the  course  of  the  smaller  channels,  and  these  latter 
usually  cut  either  quite  through  the  folds,  or  at  least  through  the  harder 
series  of  rocks  which  form  the  cliffs. 

In  some  places  the  waters  run  down  the  face  of  the  escarpment,  and  cut 
narrow  canons,  or  gorges,  back  for  a  greater  or  less  distance  into  the  cliffs, 
until  what  would,  otherwise,  be  nearly  a  straight  wall,  is  cut  into  a  very 
irregular  line,  with  salients  and  deep  re-entering  angles. 

These  canons  which  cut  into  the  walls  also  have  their  lateral  canons 
and  gorges,  and  sometimes  it  occurs  that  a  lateral  canon  from  each  of  two 
adjacent  main  canons  will  coalesce  at  their  heads,  and  gradually  cut  off  the 
salient  cliff  from  the  ever  retreating  line.  In  this  way  buttes  are  formed. 
The  sides  of  these  buttresses  have  the  same  structural  characteristics  as  the 
cliffs  from  which  they  have  been  cut.  So  the  buttes  on  the  plains  below  the 
Orange  Cliffs  are  terraced  and  buttressed  below,  and  fluted  and  columned 
above.  Often  the  upper  parts  of  these  buttes  are  but  groups  of  giant 
columns. 

The  three  lines  of  cliffs,  which  I  have  thus  described,  have  been  traced 
to  the  east  but  a  few  miles  back  from  the  river.  The  way  in  which  they 
terminate  is  not  known ;  but,  from  a  general  knowledge  obtained  from  a 


174  EXPLOBATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

hasty  trip  made  through  that  country,  it  is  believed  that  they  are  cut 
off  by  a  system  of  monoclinal  folds.  To  the  west  they  are  known  to 
gradually  run  out  in  plateaus  and  mountains,  which  have  another  oro- 
graphic  origin. 

Climb  the  cliff  at  the  end  of  Labyrinth  Canon,  and  look  over  the  plain 
below,  and  you  see  vast  numbers  of  buttes  scattered  about  over  scores  of 
miles,  and  every  butte  so  regular  and  beautiful  that  you  can  hardly  cast 
aside  the  belief  that  they  are  works  of  Titanic  art.  It  seems  as  if  a  thou 
sand  battles  had  been  fought  on  the  plains  below,  and  on  every  field  the 
giant  heroes  had  built  a  monument,  compared  with  which  the  pillar  on 
Bunker  Hill  is  but  a  mile  stone.  But  no  human  hand  has  placed  a  block  in 
all  those  wonderful  structures.  'The  rain  drops  of  unreckoned  ages  have 
cut  them  all  from  the  solid  rock. 

Between  the  foot  of  Gray  Canon  and  the  head  of  Labyrinth  Caiion  we 
descend  through  many  hundred  feet  of  soft  shales,  sandstones,  marls,  and 
gyp^iferous  rocks  of  a  texture  so  friable  that  no  canon  appears  along  the 
course  of  the  Green,  but  along  the  southern  border  of  the  terrace  above  the 
Orange  Cliffs,  buttes  of  gypsum  are  seen.  Sometimes  the  faces  of  these 
buttes  are  as  white  as  the  heart  of  the  alabaster  from  which  they  are  carved, 
while  in  other  places  they  are  stained  and  mottled  red  and  brown. 

As  we  come  near  to  the  Book  Cliffs  the  buttes  are  seen  to  be  composed 
of  the  same  beds  as  those  seen  in  the  escarpment,  and  we  see  the  same  light 
blue  buttresses  and  terraced  summits. 

On  the  terrace  above  the  Book  Cliffs,  the  buttes  are  less  numerous,  but 
the  few  seen  have  the  angular,  irregular  appearance  of  the  Brown  Cliffs. 

The  summit  of  the  high  plateau  through  which  the  Caiion  of  Desola 
tion  is  cut,  is  fretted  into  pine  clad  hills,  with  nestling  valleys  and  meadow 
bordered  lakes,  for  now  we  are  in  that  upper  region  where  the  clouds  yield 
their  moisture  to  the  soil.  In  these  meadows  herds  of  deer  carry  aloft  with 
pride  their  branching  antlers,  and  sweep  the  country  with  their  sharp  out 
look,  or  test  the  air  with  their  delicate  nostrils  for  the-  faintest  evidence  of  an 
approaching  Indian  hunter.  Huge  elk,  with  heads  bowed  by  the  weight  of 
ragged  horns,  feed  among  the  pines,  or  trot  with  headlong  speed  through 
the  undergrowth,  frightened  at  the  report  of  the  red  man's  rifle.  Eagles 


Figure  62. — Bird's-eye  view  ol  the  Toom'-pin  Wu-near'  Tu-weap'  looking  to  the  north  east, 
showing  the  Sierra  la  Sal  on  the  right,  the  canons  through  the  center,  and  lines  ol  cliffs  on 
the  left. 


THE  LAND  OF  STANDING  ROCKS.  175 

sail  down  from  distant  mountains,  and  make  their  homes  upon  the  trees; 
grouse  feed  on  the  pine  nuts,  and  birds  and  beasts  have  a'  home  from  which 
they  rarely  winder  to  the  desert  lands  below.  Among  the  buttes  on  the 
lower  terraces  rattlesnakes  crawl,  lizards  glide  over  the  rocks,  tarantulas 
stagger  about,  and  red  ants  build  their  play  house  mountains.  Sometimes 
rabbits  are  seen,  and  wolves  prowl  in  their  quest;  but  the  desert  has  no  bird 
of  sweet  song,  and  no  beast  of  noble  mien. 

THE  TOOM'-PIN  WU-NEAR'  TU-WEAP'. 

We  now  proceed  to  the  discussion  of  Stillwater  Canon,  Cataract  Canon, 
and  Narrow  Canon,  and  the  region  of  country  adjacent  thereto. 

At  the  head  of  Stillwater  Canon  the  river  turns  to  a  more  easterly 
course,  and  runs  into  a  fold,  which  has  a  northeast  and  southwest  axis,  but 
its  central  line  is  never  reached.  Before  coming  to  it  the  river  turns  again 
to  the  west,  and  runs  entirely  out  of  the  fold,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dirty 
Devil  River.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  dip  of  the  formations  under  dis 
cussion  is  to  the  northwest.  Going  down  to  the  middle  of  Cataract  Canon, 
we  constantly  see  rocks  of  lower  geological  position  appearing  at  the  water's 
edge;  and,  still  continuing  from  that  point  to  the  foot  of  Narrow  Canon, 
the  same  beds  are  observed  in  reverse  order;  that  is,  we  see  at  the  water's 
edge  rocks  of  later  geological  age. 

Where  the  upturned  axis  of  this  fold  is  situated  is  not  known;  but, 
looking  away  to  the  southeast,  mountains  are  seen— the  Sierra  La  Sal  and 
Sierra  Abajo.  Looking  over  the  general  surface  of  the  country,  it  appears 
that  the  course  of  the  river  is  from  lower  into  higher  lands,  and  then  back 
again.  Observing  the  present  topographic  features  of  the  country,  it  seems 
strange  that  it  did  not  find  its  way  directly  across  from  the  foot  of  Labyrinth 
to  the  foot  of  Narrow  Canon,  following  the  low  lands.  Why  should  it  leave 
this  lower  region,  and  run  away  out  into  the  slope  of  a  system  of  mountains, 
and  then  return!  We  must  remember  that  the  river  is  older  than  the  mount 
ains  and  the  cliffs.  We  must  not  think  of  a  great  district  of  country,  over 
which  mountains  were  piled,  or  built,  or  heaved  up,  and  that  when  rain  fell 
it  gathered  into  streams  along  the  natural  depressions  of  such  a  country, 
and  thus  attempt  to  account  for  the  course  of  the  river;  but  we  must  under- 


176  EXPLOITATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

stand  that  the  river  cut  its  way  through  a  region  that  was  slowly  rising 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  rain  washed  out  the  valleys,  and  left 
rocks  and  cliffs  standing,  and  the  river  never  turned  aside  from  its  original 
course  to  seek  an  easier  way,  for  the  progress  of  uplifting  was  not  greater 
than  that  of  corrasion.  Again  we  see  how  slowly  the  dry  land  has  emerged 
from  the  sea;  no  great  convulsion  of  nature,  but  steady  progress. 

The  Orange  Cliffs,  which  terminate  Labyrinth  Caiion,  extend  to  the 
west  a  few  miles,  and  then  change  their  course  to  the  southwest,  running 
parallel  with  the  axis  of  the  fold  we  are  now  discussing,  and  they  cross  the 
Dirty  Devil  a  few  miles  above  its  mouth.  Thus  they  are  seen,  like  the 
other  lines  of  cliffs,  to  face  the  axis  of  a  fold.  Figure  62  is  a  bird's-eye 
view,  of  this  country,  showing  the  course  of  the  river  through  Still  water, 
Cataract,  and  Narrow  Canons.  It  represents  the  cutting  of  the  stream  into 
the  slope  of  a  mountain  range,  and  out  of  it  again,  without  crossing  the 
range.  On  the  left  it  shows  two  lines  of  cliffs.  Here  we  have  a  district 
inclosed  within  Titanic  walls.  On '  the  southeast  are  great  mountains,  and 
from  the  foot  of  their  slope,  on  the  north  side,  near  Grand  River,  we  find  a 
line  of  cliffs  crossing  this  stream,  and  extending  to  the  Green,  in  a  westerly 
direction;  then' to  the  southwest,  to  the  Dirty  Devil  River,  and  then  broken 
and  confused  by  buttes  and  canon  walls,  which  extend  toward  the  east, 
until  it  strikes  the  southern  foot  of  the  mountains.  Within  this  walled  area 
a  profound  gorge — Cataract  Caiion — is  seen,  with  Stillwater  Canon  above, 
and  Narrow  Canon  below.  The  lower  canon  of  the  Grand  is  also  seen, 
and  a  number  of  lateral  canons. 

Along  the  genera'l  slope  of  the  district  between  the  canons  are  vast 
numbers  of  buttes.  Their  origin  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  buttes  previously 
described.  Often  they  are  but  monuments,  or  standing  columns  of  rocks. 
From  them  is  derived  the  Indian  name  Toom'-pin  Wu-near'  Tu-weap' — the 
Land  of  Standing  Rocks. 

Adjacent  to  the  larger  canons,  especially  near  the  junction  of  the 
Grand  and  Green,  walled  coves  are  found.  Each  main  gulch  branches  into 
a  number  of  smaller  gulches  above,  and  each  of  these  smaller  gulches  heads 
in  an  amphitheater.  The  escarpments  of  these  amphitheaters  are  broken 
and  terraced,  and  in  many  places  two  such  amphitheaters  are  so  close 


HENttY  MOUNTAINS.  177 

together  that  they  are  separated  only  by  a  narrow  gorge  of  vertical  homo 
geneous  sandstone. 

This  latter,  though  homogeneous  in  general  structure,  is  banded  with 
red  and  gray,  so  that  the  walls  of  the  amphitheaters  seem  painted.  In 
many  places  these  walls  are  broken,  and  the  coves  are  separated  by  lines  of 
monuments.  Where  these  covers  or  amphitheaters  are  farther  apart,  the 
spaces  above  are  naked,  presenting  a  smooth  but  billowy  pavement  of  sand 
stone,  in  the  depressions  of  which  are  many  water  pockets,  some  of  them 
deep,  preserving  a  perennial  supply;  but  the  greater  number  So  shallow 
that  the  water  is  evaporated  within  a  few  days  after  the  infrequent  showers. 

In  many  places,  especially  in  the  sharp  angles  between  gulches,  the 
rocks  are  often  fissured,  and  huge  chasms  obstruct  the  course  of  the  advent 
urous  climber. 

These  canons,  and  coves,  and  standing  rocks,  and  buttes,  and  cliffs, 
and  distant  mountains  present  an  ensemble  of  strange,  grand  features. 
Wierd  and  wonderful  is  the  Toom'-pin  Wu-near'  Tu-weap'. 

GLEN    CANON. 

The  deepest  part  of  Glen  Canon  is  found  in  the  bend  to  the  north, 
several  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Paria,  where  the  river  runs  through 
the  variegated  beds. 

Its  entire  course  is  through  rocks  of  Triassic  Age,  chiefly  red  sand 
stones.  These  rocks,  beautifully  exposed  in  the  Orange  Cliffs,  return  to 
the  river  down  the  western  bank  of  the  Dirty  Devil,  and  we  enter  them 
again  immediately  below  the  mouth  of  that  stream;  and  here  we  pass 
around  the  lower  end  of  the  fold  which  brought  up  the  Carboniferous  lime 
stones  and  sandstones  through  which  Stillwater,  Cataract,  and  Narrow 
Canons  are  excavated.  The  group  of  mountains  discovered  in  coming  down 
Narrow  Canon  is  composed  of  eruptive  rocks  in  part,  but  only  in  part. 
Quantities  of  molten  matter  poured  out  through  some  fissures  here,  and 
spread  over  the  country  before  it  had  been  eroded  to  its  present  depth;  and 
this  harder  material,  which  came  from  the  depths  below,  protected  the  sand 
stones,  over  which  it  was  spread,  from  the 'degradation  which  befell  the 
extension  of  the  beds  beyond  the  capping  trachyte.  The  base  of  tlie 
23  COL 


178  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

mountain  is  composed  of  sedimentary  beds,  and  the  summit  of  this,  cooled 
lava.  So  even,  these  so  called  eruptive  mountains  were  not  piled  up,  but 
were  carved  from  beds  of  sedimentary  and  igneous  matter. 

We  have  named  this  group,  in  honor  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Smith 
sonian  Institution,  ''Henry  Mountains." 

A  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  San  Juan  River  we  come  to  an 
interesting  monoclinal  fold,  where  the  dip  of  the  rocks  is  in  a  direction  a 
little  north  of  east;  that  is,  the  beds  are  dropped  down  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  line,  which  trends  nearly  north  and  south,  not  broken  off  and 
dropped  down,  but  flexed,  or  bent,  so  that  the  beds  on  the  western  side  of 
the  line  are  found  at  an  altitude  many  hundreds  of  feet  above  those  on  the 
east,  and  farther  down  the  river  the  rocks  exposed  at  the  water  edge  are  of 
greater  age  than  those  above. 

Hereafter,  in  this  discussion,  I  shall  more  fully  explain  the  nature  of 
these  monoclinal  folds  and  faults,  and  the  topographic  features  to  which  they 
give  origin. 

At  the  foot  of  this  canon  another  monoclinal  fold  is  seen,  with  the 
throw,  or  drop,  also  on  the  east  side,  or  the  uplift,  if  one  is  so  pleased  to 
term  it,  on  the  west  side;  and  this  brings  up  again  Carboniferous  sandstones 
and  limestones.  The  surface  of  the  country  immediately  outside  the  canon, 
along  its  whole  course,  is  on  the  summit  of  the  red  Trias;  but,  away  back 
on  either  side,  we  see  long  lines  of  towering  cliffs,  now  running  in  this,  now 
in  that  direction,  still  keeping  their  courses  parallel  to  the  axes  of  folds  which 
are  scattered  in  many  directions  over  the  country.  A  region  more  desolate, 
and,  for  all  economic  purposes,  more  valueless,  perhaps,  cannot  be  found  on 
the  continent. 

There  are  some  features  of  this  canon  of  great  interest,  which  I  have 
already  mentioned  in  the  account  of  the  exploration.  These  are  the  cham 
bers,  or  caves,  found  along  the  canon,  at  the  foot  of  the  wall,  here  and  there, 
or  in  the  side  canons  and  gulches ;  the  great  mural  cliffs,  about  sweeping 
curves  of  the  river;  terraced  glens,  where  the  walls  are  composed  of  well 
denned  strata,  with  springs  about  which  oaks  and  aspens  grow;  and  the 
deep,  narrow  alcoves  or  side  gulches. 

The  origin  of  these  chambers  was  explained  in  the  mention  of  Music 


CANONS  IN  THE  SANDSTONE.  179 

Temple.  They  are  due  to  the  crumbling  of  softer  rocks,  which  underlie 
harder  beds,  the  friable  material  being  carried  away  by  springs,  or  wet 
weather  streams.  The  greater  number  are  found  at  the  heads  of  little 
gulches. 

In  many  places  the  walls  of  the  canon  are  .of  homogeneous  sandstone, 
and  where  the  river  sweeps  in  a  great  curve  at  the  foot  of  the  wall,  mural 
cliffs  are  found. 

The  oak  glens  have  been  excavated  by  springs,  and  the  alcoves  are  the 
channels  of  intermittent  rills. 

Away  from  the  river,  on  either  side,  there  are  broad  stretches  of  naked 
sandstone,  carved  by  the  rains  into  gentle  billows  or  mounds.  As  the  rains 
gather  into  streams,  the  little  valleys,  or  grooves,  between  the  mounds 
become  gulches,  and  where  the  smaller  streams  gather  into  larger  the  gulches 
become  canons,  often  having  vertical  or  even  overhanging  walls. 

When,  in  the  progress  of  corrasion,  these  streams  have  cut  through 
harder  beds,  and  reach  softer,  the  channels  are  seen  to  widen.  The 
manner  in  which  this  widening  occurs  is  curious.  The  streams  are 
everywhere  tortuous,  and,  as  the  power  of  the  water  is  constantly  exerted 
in  corrasion,  the  streams  are  not  only  made  deeper,  but  the  curves  are 
increased  by  methods  well  known  to  those  who  have  studied  the  origin  and 
change  of  river  channels;  so  the  walls  are  often  undermined  on  the  outer 
side  of  curves,  and  here  overhanging  cliffs  are  found. 

So  these  canons  are  not  only  flexuous  in  horizontal  outline,  but  they 
are  also  flexuous  in  vertical  outline,  giving  them  warped  or  tortuous  courses. 
The  streams  do  not  always  cut  channels  with  vertical  walls.  Occasionally, 
deep  water-ways  are  found,  with  flaring  walls  to  the  very  bottom.  Such 
canons  usually  occur  where  the  beds  of  streams  are  in  rocks  quite  as  hard, 
or  even  harder,  than  those  above.  A  good  illustration  of  such  a  channel  is 
seen  in  Figure  48.  Besides  the  grooves,  gulches,  and  canons  that  head 
among  the  mounds,  we  have  another  class  of  water-ways,  to  which  the  former 
are  sometimes  tributary.  Many  streams  come  down  from  distant  mountains, 
where  they  receive  a  more  constant  supply  of  water.  They  often  run  for 
many  miles  through  narrow,  winding  canons,  with  walls  so  precipitous  that 
they  cannot  be  scaled,  and  they  form  impassable  barriers  to  the  traveler. 


180  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

Other  interesting  features  of  the  landscape  are  found  in  the  great  monu 
ments  and  buttes  that  are  scattered  here  and  there,  attesting  to  a  former 
extension  of  the  beds  seen  in  the  more  distant  cliffs.  Of  the  cliffs  more  will 
be  said  hereafter. 

Glen  Canon  is  the  channel  which  the  Colorado  River  has  cut  for 
itself  through  beds  of  red  and  orange  sandstones.  Its  head  is  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Dirty  Devil,  and  its  foot  at  the  mouth  of  the  Paria.  It  termi 
nates  abruptly  below  by  an  escarpment  which  we  have  called  the  "Vermil 
ion  Cliffs."  Along  this  irregular  line,  extending  from  east  to  west  across  the 
Colorado,  and  far  back  on  either  side,  the  general  surface  of  the  country 
suddenly  drops  down. 

MARBLE  CANON. 

The  escarpment,  which  we  call  the  "  Vermilion  Cliffs,"  at  the  foot  of 
Glen  Canon,  exposes  the  same  beds  as  are  seen  in  the  face  of  the  Orange 
Cliffs,  at  the  foot  of  Labyrinth  Canon.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  beds 
exposed  in  the  Terrace  Canons  dip  to  the  north.  Between  the  Orange  Cliffs 
and  the  Vermilion  Cliffs  the  strata  are  variously  dipped  by  monoclinal  folds, 
having  their  axes  in  a  northerly  and  southerly  direction,  and  the  red  beds 
are  at  about  the  same  altitude  above  the  sea  at  the  two  points.  The  Ver 
milion  Cliffs  which  face  the  south  form  a  deep,  re-entering  angle  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Paria.  On  the  east  side  of  the  Colorado,  the  line  stretches  to  the 
southeast  for  many  miles;  on  the  west  side,  it  extends,  in  a  southwesterly 
direction,  about  fifteen  miles,  then  turns  west,  and,  at  last,  to  the  northwest. 
The  general  northerly  dip  is  again  observed  from  the  mouth  of  the  Paria  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  Chiquito. 

The  general  surface  of  the  country  between  the  two  points  is  the  sum 
mit  of  the  Carboniferous  formation.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Paria  this  is  at 
the  water's  edge;  at  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  Chiquito  it  is  3,800  feet 
above  the  river.  The  fall  of  the  river,  in  the  same  distance,  is  about  six 
hundred  feet,  so  that  the  whole  dip  of  the  rock  between  the  two  points  is 
about  three  thousand  two  hundred  feet.  The  distance,  by  river,  is  sixty  five 
miles;  in  a  direct  line,  twenty  miles  less.  So  we  have  a  dip  of  the  formation 
of  3,200  feet  in  forty  five  miles,  or  about  seventy  feet  to  a  mile. 


Figure  63. — View  of  Marble  Canon  from  the  Vermilion  Cliffs  near  the  mouth  of  the  Paria. 
In  the  distance,  the  Colorado  River  is  seen  to  turn  to  the  west,  where  its  gorge  divides  the 
twin  plateaus.  On  the  right  is  seen  the  Eastern  Kaibab  Displacements,  appearing  as  folds, 
and,  farther  in  the  distance,  as  faults. 


MARBLE  CASfON.  181 

The  slope  of  the  country  to  the  north  is  the  same  as  the  dip  of  the  beds, 
for  the  country  rises  to  the  south  as  the  beds  rise  to  the  south. 

Stand  on  the  Vermilion  Cliffs,  at  the  head  of  Marble  Canon,  and  look 
off  down  the  river  over  a  stretch  of  country  that  steadily  rises  in  the  dis 
tance  until  it  reaches  an  altitude  far  above  even  the  elevated  point  of  obser 
vation,  and  then  see  meandering  through  it  to  the  south  the  gorge  in  which 
the  river  runs,  everywhere  breaking  down  with  a  sharp  brink,  and  in  the 
perspective  the  summits  of  the  walls  appearing  to  approach  until  they  are 
merged  in  a  black  line,  and  you  can  hardly  resist  the  thought  that  the  river 
burrows  into,  and  is  lost  under,  the  great  inclined  plateau. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE  PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  COLORADO,  CONTINUED. 

In  the  previous  chapter,  I  have  made  frequent  mention  of  long  lines  of 
cliffs,  or  escarpments,  extending  across  the  Colorado,  far  back  into  the 
country  on  either  side.  I  have  attempted  to  explain  the  origin  of  these 
cliffs,  as  well  as  the  origin  of  canons,  as  due  to  the  erosion  of  greater  or 
smaller  folds  of  the  stony  formations,  or  beds  of  rock.  To  explain  the  chief 
characteristics  of  the  Grand  Canon,  and  the  adjacent  country,  it  is  neces 
sary  to  describe  other  lines  of  cliffs,  due  to  other  causes. 

CLIFFS    AND    SLOPES    OF    DISPLACEMENT. 

The  geological  formations,  or  beds  of  rock,  exposed  in  the  Grand  Cailon 
and  the  tributary  gorges,  have  been  fractured,  or  folded,  on  an  extensive 
scale.  These  great  fractures,  or  folds,  extend  across  the  canon  in  a  northerly 
and  southerly  direction,  and  can  be  traced  for  scores  of  miles  on  either  side — 
not  as  huge  cracks,  or  chasms,  for  they  are  observable  only  to  the  eye  of 
the  geologist,  and  are  traced  by  the  high  steps  and  great  displacements  seen 
along  their  courses.  Along  these  fractures  we  find  what  geologists  call 
faults,  i.  e.,  the  beds  have  fallen  down  on  one  side  of  each  crack.  This  dis 
placement,  or  throw  of  the  fault,  as  it  is  technically  called,  is  from  one  or  two 
hundred  to  two  or  three  thousand  feet,  and  is  always  noticed  to  be  quite 
variable  along  any  particular  fault  which  may  be  studied. 

Let  us  try  to  obtain  a  well  defined  conception  of  such  a  fault.  Sup 
pose  that  a  fracture  should  be  formed,  extending  from  the  shore  of  Lake 
Erie,  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Pennsylvania,  diagonally  through  the  State 
to  the  head  of  Delaware  Bay — a  great  crack,  through  the  underlying  rocks, 
to  unknown  depths  below — and  that  the  country  on  the  southwestern  side 


Figure  64. — Section  across  a  simple  fault. 


Figure  65.— Section  across  a  fault  with  walls  widely  separated,  the 
inteivening  space  filled  with  broken  rocks. 


Figure  66.— Section  across  a  fault  with  walls  widely  separated,  the 
intervening  space  filled  with  broken  rock,  still  exhibiting  the 
original  stratification. 


Figure  67. — A  rnonocliual  fold. 


FAULTS.  183 

of  this  fracture  should  drop  down  many  hundreds  of  feet.  Now,  to  go  from 
the  low  lands  to  the  high  lands  it  would  be  necessary  to  climb  a  great  wall. 

We  must- conceive  this  line  to  be  a  somewhat  meandering  one,  so  that 
the  wall  is  turned  more  or  less  from  a  direct  course.  Again,  the  throw  of 
the  beds  is  variable,  being  greater  or  lesser  here  and  there  along  the  fault — 
in  some  places,  but  two  or  three  hundred  feet,  perhaps;  in  others,  two  or 
three  thousand.  For  this  reason  the  altitude  of  the  cliffs  is  greatly  variable. 

Again,  the  brink,  or  edge,  of  the  irregular  wall  has  tumbled  down  in 
many  places,  leaving  pinnacles,  towers,  and  crags  here  and  there,  and  below 
may  be  seen  a  great  talus,  where  the  rocks  which  have  tumbled  down  are 
piled  against  the  foot  of  the  wall.  Then  there  are  streams  heading  in  the 
upper  country,  and  running  down  into  the  lower,  which  have  cut  for  them 
selves  channels — narrow  gulches,  or,  perhaps,  in  some  places,  narrow  valleys, 
so  that  we  have,  not  a  vast,  unbroken  wall,  but  an  irregular  line  of  cliffs. 

Let  us  turn  our  attention  to  these  faults,  and  the  topographic  features 
to  which  they  give  rise.  Sometimes  we  find  that  the  beds  are  broken  by  a 
well  defined  fracture,  and  the  plane  of  separation  between  the  beds  which 
have  dropped  down  and  those  which  have  remained  in  place  is  clearly 
marked.  Figure  64  is  designed  to  represent  a  section  across  such  a  fault, 
where  the  bed  «,  a  on  the  left  is  seen  to  lie  at  a  higher  level  than  on  the 
right.  Sometimes  the  fault  branches,  and  the  throw,  or  displacement,  occurs 
along  two  or  more  lines,  so  that  a  great  step  may  be  broken  into  two  or 
more  smaller  ones,  as  represented  in  Figure  69,  where  the  bed  «,  a  is 
seen  in  each  step.  In  other  places,  the  beds  have  fallen  down  without 
obstruction  for  a  part  of  the  distance,  and  have  been  caught  and  turned  up, 
as  in  Figure  71.  In  many  places  we  find  no  definite  line  of  separation 
between  the  strata  in  place  and  the  fallen  strata,  and  there  is  a  space  of 
greater  or  lesser  extent,  sometimes  several  hundred  feet  wide,  between  the 
two  -series,  composed  of  fragments  of  the  same  rocks,  in  some  cases,  thrown 
down  promiscuously,  and  found  much  mixed,  as  seen  in  Figure  65;  but  in 
others,  preserving,  in  an  irregular,  broken  way,  the  stratification,  by  a  flex 
ure,  from  the  upper  to  the  lower  beds,  as  seen  in  Figure  66,  where  the  rocks 
seem  to  have  been  torn  asunder  by  the  stretching  they  received  in  displace 
ment.  Again,  we  find  the  rocks  intervening  between  the  horizontal  beds 


184  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

above  and  the  horizontal  beds  below,  unbroken ;  the  flexure  is  complete,  and 
we  have  a  monoclinal  fold,  as  represented  in  Figure  67. 

Still  another  variation  is  found.  In  the  same  vertical  section  we  may 
sometimes  see  that  a  bed  composed  of  a  so'mewhat  brittle  material  is  broken 
so  as  to  form  a  fault,  while  the  bed  above  or  below,  composed  of  a  more 
flexible  material,  is  bent  so  as  to  form  a  fold,  and  thus  a  fault  and  fold  will 
be  represented  in  the  same  cross  section  as  in  Figure  68.  Thus  it  is  seen 
that  the  transformation  of  a  fold  into  a  fault  may  occur  in  two  ways — longi 
tudinally  along  the  course  of  the  fault,  and  vertically  'in  the  strata. 

The  flexures,  or  monoclinal  folds,  also  change  in  character,  for  the  dip 
of  the  beds  may  vary  greatly — from  two  or  three  to  ninety  degrees — and  if 
we  trace  such  a  fold  along  its  course,  commencing  at  its  transformation  from 
a  fault,  we  may  find  the  flexure  becoming  less  and  less,  until  it  can  scarcely 
be  detected  by  the  eye,  and  then,  perhaps,  increase  gradually  into  an  abrupt 
fold,  and  then  into  a  fault,  reproducing,  in  some  irregular  way,  the  varieties 
of  faulting  above  described. 

These  faults  run  in  lines  approximately  parallel,  and  divide  the  district 
under  consideration  into  long  belts,  or  blocks,  and  one  edge  of  each  block 
usually  lies  at  the  foot  of  an  escarpment,  the  other  at  the  summit  of  an 
escarpment.  In  examining  the  down-throw  of  these  blocks,  it  is  observed 
that  the  edge  which  lies  against  the  foot  of  an  escarpment  has  usually  been 
thrown  down  much  more  than  the  opposite  one,  so  that  the  blocks  are  tilted 
more  or  less.  The  relative  amount  of  the  downfall  of  these  two  edges  is 
ever  changeable.  There  are  cases  where  the  summit  edge  seems  to  have 
preserved  its  original  position  without  down-throw,  arid  there  are  other  cases 
where  the  summit  edge  seems  to  have  fallen  quite  as  much  as  the  other. 

There  is  yet  another  change  rung  on  these  displacements.  In  some 
places  the  beds,  at  the  edge  of  the  table,  lying  against  the  foot  of  the  escarp 
ment,  are  turned  down,  while  farther  back  from  the  fault,  toward  the  summit 
edge,  the  beds  are  approximately  horizontal.  This  is  represented  in  Figure 
70.  Thus  the  long,  narrow  blocks,  into  which  the  country  is  divided  by 
these  displacements,  are  warped,  or  twisted. 

These  faults  and  folds,  thus  ever  changing  in  their  characteristics,  pro 
duce  like  changeable  features  in  the  topography  of  the  country.  A  sharp 


Figure  68. — Fault  and  fold  in  same  cross-section. 


Figure  69. — Section  across  a  branching  fault 


Figure  70. — Fault  with  thrown  beds  flexed  downward. 


Figure  71. — Fault  with  thrown  beds  flexed  upward — a  dragged  fault. 


KAIBAB  PLATEAU.  185 

fault,  especially  where -the  throw  is  great  and  the  rocks  are  indurated,  pro 
duces  precipitous  cliffs,  with  a  small  talus  below,  made  of  the  fragments 
which  have  fallen  from  above.  Where  the  down-fallen  rocks  have  caught 
and  have  been  flexed,  we  usually  find  a  long  slope  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs, 
and  where  the  faults  change  into  flexures  gentle  slopes  are  observed,  stretch 
ing  from  the  high  lands  to  the  lower  country. 

The  elevated  district  traversed  by  the  Grand  Canon  is  broken  by  a 
number  of  such  faults,  and  portions  of  the  country  have  fallen  down,  so 
that,  although  the  general  upper  surface  is  formed,  in  chief  part,  of  the  same 
beds  of  cherty  limestone,  the  canon  is  not  cut  through  one  great,  unbroken 
plateau,  but  through  a  series  of  plateaus,  or  great  geographic  terraces  and 
tables. 

The  most  elevated  portion  of  the  country  is  a  central  belt,  about  twenty 
five  or  thirty  miles  in  width,  and  about  eighty  miles  in  length.  This  is 
called,  by  the  Indians,  Kaibab,  or  "mountain  lying  down,"  and  we  have 
adopted  the  name.  It  is  well  defined  on  the  east  and  west  by  lines  of  cliffs 
and  steep  slopes,  which  have  been  formed  by  displacements,  and  on  the 
south  by  the  chasm  of  the  Colorado,  but  on  the  north  it  abuts  against"  the 
Vermilion  Cliffs.  The  lines  of  cliffs  which  form  its  eastern  and  western 
boundaries  extend  to  the  south  beyond  the  Grand  Canon,  for  the  faults  run 
far  to  the  south,  and  they  define  there,  in  part,  a  companion,  or  twin  plateau. 
Had  there  been  no  river  running  there,  there  would  have  been  but  'one 
plateau. 

From  this  central  belt  the  general  surface  of  the  country  drops  by  steps 
to  the  east  and  west,  and  the  edge  of  each  step  marks  the  line  of  a  fault,  or 
its  equivalent  fold. 

In  the  region  under  discussion  there  are  six  of  these  great  displace 
ments,  which  give  rise  to  important  elements  in  the  topography,  and  deserve 
special  mention.  I  shall  enumerate  them  in  order,  from  east  to  west,  omit 
ting  mention  of  the  faults  and  folds  of  minor  importance. 

East  of  Marble  Canon,  and  running  in  a  general  northerly  and  south 
erly  course,  so  as  to  cross  the  Colorado  at  the  mouth  of  the  Paria,  we  have 
the  Paria  Fold,  in  which  the  down-fall  of  the  rocky  foundation  is  to  the 
24  OOL 


186  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

east  of  the  axis  of  the  flexure.  Where  it  crosses  the  river  the  throw  is 
about  one  thousand  eight  hundred  feet,  but  it  increases  toward  the  south. 

Going-  west  across  Marble  Canon  to  the  foot  of  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  we 
find  another  great  fold.  Tracing  it  from  the  northern  extremity  of  the  pla 
teau  to  the  south,  we  find  that,  nearly  half  way  along,  it  branches  so  as  to 
form  two  monoclinal  folds.  These  separate  rapidly  until  they  are  about  four 
miles  apart,  and  then  run  parallel  to  each  other  for  twenty  five  or  thirty 
miles,  when  they  change  into  faults.  The  throw  of  the  displacement  is 
about  three  thousand  feet,  and  is,  approximately,  the  same,  whether  it 
appears  as  one  fold,  as  two  folds,  or  two  faults.  We  have  called  these  the 
Eastern  Kaibab  Faults.  The  down-fall  of  the  beds,  as  in  the  Paria  Fold, 
is  to  the  east  of  the  axis  of  flexure. 

Crossing  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  we  come  to  another  great  monoclinal 
fold,  which  changes  into  a  fault  in  some  places,  and  these  faults  sometimes 
branch.  The  throw  is  here  on  the  western  side  of  the  axis  of  flexure,  and 
varies  from  five  hundred  to  two  thousand  feet.  We  call  this  the  Western 
Kaibab  Fault. 

Continuing  to  the  west,  and  passing  over  some  minor  faults,  we  reach, 
at  last,  the  To-ro'-weap  Valley.  On  the  eastern  side  of  this  valley  there  is 
an  abrupt  wall,  eight  hundred  or  nine  hundred  feet  high,  which  marks 
another  fault,  the  throw  of  which  is  also  to  the  west.  This  is  the  To-ro'-weap 
Fault.  Its  throw  is  but  little  over  eight  hundred  feet,  where  it  crosses  the 
Grand  Canon.  Farther  to  the  south  it  increases  somewhat,  but  to  the  north 
it  becomes  less,  and  where  it  crosses  the  Vermilion  Cliffs  it  is  only  about 
two  hundred  feet. 

Twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to  the  west  is  the  Hurricane  Ledge  Fault.  Its 
throw  is  also  to  the  west.  It  has  been  traced  from  a  point  north  of  Toker- 
ville  southward  across  the  Grand  Canon,  and  out  to  the  brink  of  the  great 
San  Francisco  Plateau.  The  throw  varies  from  two  to  three  thousand  feet. 
Usually  it  is  a  sharp,  or  abrupt,  fault,  though  here  and  there  the  strata  have 
been  caught  below. 

Twenty  five  or  thirty  miles  farther  to  the  west,  we  find  the  Grand  Wash 
Fault — a"  fault  in  some  places,*)  elsewhere  a  fold.  Here,  also,  the  throw  is  to 
the  west,  and  it  is  more  than  five  thousand  feet  where  it  crosses  the  Colorado. 


Figure  72.— Bird's-eye  view  of  thej  Grand  Canon  looking  east  from  the  Grand  Wash.  One  bird,  Echo  Cliffs.  Two 
birds,  Kaibab  Plateau.  Three  bi^ds,  To-ro'-weap  Cliffs.  Four  birds,  Hurricane  Ledge.  Five  birds,  Shi-vwits 
Plateau. 


FAULTS  AND  FOLDS.  187 

So  wo  have  selected,  for  purposes  of  discussion  here,  six  great  displace 
ments — the  Paria  Fold,  the  Eastern  Kalbab  Fault,  the  Western  Kaibab 
Fault,  the  To-r.o'-weap  Fault,  the  Hurricane  Ledge  Fault,  and  the  Grand 
Wash  Fault.  Let  us  review  them  in  reverse  order,  and  examine  the  lines  of 
cliffs  to  which  they  give  rise,  and  the  table  lands  which  they  divide.  (See 
bird's-eye  view,  Figure  72.) 

We  will  start  at  the  Grand  Wash,  half  a  dozen  miles  north  of  the  river. 
Here  the  summit  of  the  Carboniferous  rocks  is  deeply  buried  beneath  sand 
stones  and  shales  of  later  origin.  At  the  start  we  are  but  five  or  six  hun 
dred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Colorado,  and  we  climb  by  a  gentle  slope 
several  miles  in  length,  until  we  reach  an  altitude  of  six  or  eight  hundred 
feet  above  the  starting  point,  and  are  at  the  foot  of  the  Grand  Wash  Cliffs. 
Now  we  must  climb  this  great  wall,  one  thousand  five  hundred  or  one  thou 
sand  eight  hundred  feet  high;  no  easy  task,  as  it  is  not  a  mountain  slope,  up 
which  we  can  walk,  but  a  wall,  broken  somewhat  with  gulches,  and  set  with 
narrow  benches,  or  shelves,  here  and  there,  and  up  some  one  of  these  gulches 
and  along  the  narrow  shelves  we  pass,  until  we  reach  the  summit  of  the  first 
great  terrace. 

Still  we  go  a  short  distance  to  the  east,  and  must  climb  another  thou 
sand  feet,  or  more,  and  we  are  on  the  Shi' -wits  Plateau  This  last  escarp- 
.  ment  of  a  thousand  feet  is  not  due  to  a  fault,  but  is  a  line  of  cliffs  formed 
by  erosion.  On  the  plateau  there  is  a  dead  volcano,  and  from  its  crater 
have  poured  floods  of  basalt  in  great  sheets,  which  now  stand  as  a  central 
and  higher  table  on  the  plateau. 

We  go  on  to  the  east  thirty  miles.  It  is  not  an  easy  way,  but  we  stop 
not  here  to  describe  it,  and  we  arrive  at  the  foot  of  the  Hurricane  Ledge.  We 
have  descended  a  little,  for  the  Shi' -wits  Plateau  inclines,  or  dips,  from  its 
western  margin  to  the  foot  of  this  ledge,  or  line  of  cliffs.  The  Hurricane 
Ledge  is  more  than  two  thousand  feet  high,  and  we  have  another  hard  climb. 

It  is  related  that  a  storm  overtook  a  party  of  Mormon  officials  while 
attempting  to  explore  a  route  for  a  wagon  road  up  a  gulch  which  comes 
down  from  the  upper  country,  and  hence  its  name,  Hurricane  Ledge. 

It  presents  a  bold,  precipitous  wall  to  the  west,  which  forms,  along  its 
entire  course,  an  impassable  barrier  to  the  traveler,  except  that  here  and 


188  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

there  it  Is  cut  by  narrow  cafions  or  gulches,  which  may  be  ascended,  and 
in  two  or  three  places  volcanoes,  standing  on  the  plateau  above,  have  poured 
out  streams  of  lava,  that  have  run  over  this  wall  in  rugged  slopes,  which 
can  be  climbed  with  difficulty. 

Then  we  pass  on  to  the  east,  winding  among  volcanic  cones,  and  in 
many  places  walking  over  sheets  of  cooled  basalt  and  beds  of  cinders,  until 
.  we  reach  the  foot  of  the  To-ro'-weap  Cliffs.  Here  we  have  another  wall 
800  feet  high  to  climb. 

Still  passing  to  the  east,  by  a  difficult  way,  crossing  canons  and  gulches, 
at  last  we  reach  the  western  foot  of  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  and  again  climb 
2,000  feet  to  its  summit,  where  we  are  8,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
To  the  south,  we  can  see  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado  ;  its  meandering 
course  can  be  traced  for  two  hundred  miles ;  far  away  to  the  north,  we  see 
the  ragged  lines  of  Vermillion  Cliff,  an  escarpment  due  to  erosion. 

On  to  the  east,  for  thirty  miles,  and  we  reach  the  eastern  brink  of  the 
Kaibab  Plateau.  Descending  1,500  feet,  we  have  a  bench  three  or  four 
miles  wide,  and  make  a  second  descent  of  fifteen  hundred  or  eighteen  hun 
dred  feet,  when  we  reach  the  eastern  foot  of  the  plateau,  and  stand  on  the 
plain  above  Marble  Canon.  To  the  south,  these  eastern  Kaibab  steps  have 
escarpments,  as  the  displacements  are  by  faults.  To  the  north,  they  have 
slopes,  as  the  displacements  are  by  folds. 

Then  we  cross  the  plain,  and  still  go  on  to  the  east  for  a  distance  of 
thirty  five  or  forty  miles,  and  reach  the  foot  of  a  line  of  cliffs  facing  the  west 
once  more. 

Climbing  this,  we  find  it  to  be  a  sharp  ridge,  with  a  face  also  turned  to 
the  east,  so  that  we  have  two  lines  of  cliffs  or  escarpments,  one  facing  the 
east,  the  other  the  west,  brought  so  close  together  as  to  form  a  sharp  ridge. 
The  eastern  face  is  due  to  erosion;  the  western  face  to  displacement  by 
folding.  I  shall  hereafter  discuss  this  ridge  in  a  more  elaborate  manner. 

The  Grand  Wash  Valley  is  a  desert  of  broken  rocks  and  naked  sands. 
There  are  two  or  three  springs  in  the  valley,  and  here  squalid  Indians  live, 
in  a  region  so  warm  and  so  arid,  that  they  are  not  compelled  to  build  them 
selves  even  shelter  of  bark  and  boughs,  but  wallow  in  the  sand  or  seek  the 
shade  of  the  few  scrubby  cedars  that  grow  from  the  crevices  of  the  rocks. 


U-IN-KA-EET  MOUNTAINS.  189 

.  The  Shi' -wits  Plateau  is  naked  and  desolate,  but  here  and  there  springs 
burst  from  beneath  the  basaltic  cliffs,  and  deep  gulches  and  canons  are  cut 
from  its  margin  and  run  into  side  cafions  of  the  Colorado.  About  these 
springs  and  in  the  deep  gulches  the  Shi'-wits  Indians  live,  cultivating 
little  patches  of  corn,  gathering  seeds,  eating  the  fruits  and  fleshy  stalks  of 
cactus  plants,  and  catching  a  rabbit^ar  a  lizard  now  and  then ;  dirty,  squalid, 
but  happy,  and  boasting  of  their  rocky  land  as  the  very  Eden  of  the  earth. 

In  the  region  above  the  Hurricane  Ledge  there  are  extensive  grazing 
lands,  and  where  there  are  a  few  springs,. which  can  be  used  for  irrigation, 
the  Mormon  people  have  succeeded  in  raising  the  products  of  a  temperate 
climate.  In  the  region  below  there  are  two  or  three  small  towns  along  the 
course  of  the  Virgen  and  Santa  Clara  Rivers,  where  the  inhabitants  have 
succeeded  in  cultivating  sub-tropical  products,  and  you  can  throw  a  stone 
from  the  land  of  the  potato  and  apple  to  the  land  of  the  fig  and  sugar  cane. 

On  this  great  table-land,  immediately  north  of  the  Colorado  River,  there 
is  a  group  of  mountains  and  volcanic  cones,  known  as  the  U-in-ka-rets,  of 
which  mention  will  be  made  hereafter. 

The  benches  I  have  described  are  steps  in  the  great  stairway  to  the 
Kaibab  Plateau,  where  the  clouds  yield  their  snows  even  in  July,  and  the 
moisture  of  this  upper  region  has  disintegrated  the  rocks,  and  formed  a  soil 
which  gives  footing  to  vast  pine  forests.  Springs  of  water  abound,  beautiful 
lakes  are  scattered  here  and  there,  and  meadows,  clothed  with  verdure,  give 
pasturage  to  herds  of  deer.  This  is  the  summer  home  of  the  Kai-vav' -its. 

The  plain  between  the  foot  of  the  Kaibab  Plateau  and  the  Echo  Cliffs, 
along  the  Paria  Fold,  is  naked  and  desolate.  Through  its  center  runs  the 
deep  gorge  known  as  Marble  Canon,  with  its  many  side  canons  and  gulches. 

On  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Echo  Cliffs  a  number  of  springs  are  found, 
and  these  are  famous  watering  places  for  the  Navajo  Indians. 

The  western  slope  of  the  range  is  composed  of  homogeneous,  but 
rather  friable,  sandstone,  and  the  rain-water  rills  have  corraded  deepi  chan 
nels,  interrupted  by  many  pot-holes.  After  a  shower,  these  pot-holes  are 
found  filled  with  water.  There  is  a  place,  near  by  the  trail  which  passes 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Paria  to  the  province  of  Tusayan,  where  there  is  a 
collection  of  these  water-pockets,  known  as  the  Thousand  Wells. 


190  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

(The  plateaus  and  tables,  the  faults,  and  folds,  and  the  escarpments, 
due  to  displacement  and  erosion,  are  exhibited  in  bird's-eye  view,  Figure 
72,  and  also  in  section  and  bird's-eye  view,  Figure  73.) 

CLIFFS    OF   EROSION. 

I  have  said  that  the  upper  surface  of  the  district  adjacent  to  the  Grand 
Canon  is  the  summit  of  the  rocks  of  Carboniferous  Age.  North  of  the 
Grand  Canon,  from  forty  to  sixty  miles,  we  find  rocks  of  later  age,  standing 
in  cliffs,  the  escarpments  of  which  face  the  south.  There  are  four  lines  of 
these,  preserving,  in  their  courses,  a  general  parallelism.  Going  north  from 
the  Grand  Canon,  we  first  meet  with  the  SMn-ar'-ump  Cliffs,  a  step  to  a 
bench,  low,  and  much  broken.  Capping  the  cliffs,  we  find  conglomerate, 
over  which  are  scattered  many  fragments  of  silicified  wood,  known  to  the 
Indians  as  the  arrows  of  Skin-au'-av,  or  Skin-ar'-ump.  Still  proceeding 
north,  we  come  to  a  second  line  of  cliffs,  with  soft  beds  below,  and  harder 
beds  above,  known  as  the  Vermilion  Cliffs.  The  rocks  exposed  in  these  two 
lines  of  cliffs  have  been,  by  courtesy,  called  Trias,  but  without  sufficient 
paleontological  evidence.  The  third  line  of  cliffs  has  a  gray,  homogeneous 
sandstone  at  the  base,  and  a  capping  of  limestone,  containing  Jurassic  fossils. 
Above  this  line  we  have  many  hills,  carved  out  of  beds-  of  Cretaceous  Age, 
and  above  and  beyond  these  hills,  a  line  of  cliffs,  the  summit  of  which  is  of. 
Tertiary  Age.  The  faces  of  these  upper  cliffs  are  stained  with  red  oxide  of 
iron,  and  they  are  called  the  Pink  Cliffs.  The  dip  of  the  beds  is  to  the 
north;  the  strike  east  and  west;  and  as  these  are  cliffs  of  erosion,  they  fol 
low  the  strike  in  a  general  way,  and  hence  have  an  easterly  and  westerly 
trend. 

The  ascent  from  the  foot  of  the  Shin-ar'-ump  Cliffs  to  the  summit  of 
the  Pink  Cliffs  is  but  4,000  feet;  but  as  the  dip  is  to  the  north,  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  ascent,  the  thickness  of  the  beds  passed  over  is  much  greater, 
being  more  than  ten  thousand  feet. 

I  have  said  that  these  lines  of  cliffs  have  an  easterly  and  westerly 
course,  but  they  deviate  greatly  from  this  general  direction  in  many  places. 
Wherever  a  north  and  south  fault  is  found,  the  block  which  has  been  thrown 
down  has  its  lines  of  cliffs  carried  southward,  or  toward  the  axis  of  upheaval, 


\f 


Virgen  Valley. 


Pine  Valley  Mountain. 


•• 


// '  H  '  f\ 

9'  i\  V 


ui    ii    \ 

f'.\\     ri 


Paria  Fold. 
Echo  Cliffs. 


Marble  Canon. 

East  Kaibab  Fold. 

Kaibab  Plateau. 

• 

West  Kaibab  Fold. 

Kanab  Plateau. 
Kanab  Canon. 

Kauab  Plateau. 

To-ro'-weap  Fault. 
U-in-kar-et  Mountains. 

Hurricane  Fault. 


Shi'-vwits  Platea 


SI 


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CO    00 

33   S3 


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.   Grand  Wash  Fault. 
§   Grand  Wash. 


Figure  74.— Bird's-eye  view  of  cliffs  of  erosion,  showing  the  Shin-ar'-ump  Cliffs,  Ver 
milion  Cliffs,  and  Gray  Cliffs,  in  order  from  right  to  left. 


Figure  76.— Section  through  Echo  Cliff's. 


East. 


CLIFFS  OF  DISPLACEMENT  AND  EEOSION.  191 

or,  if  we  are  to  consider  the  displacement  as  caused  by  upheaval,  the  blocks 
uplifted  have  their  lines  of  cliffs  set  farther  back  to  the  north;  and  the 
amount  of  this  .backward  or  forward  displacement  is  in  direct  ratio  to  the 
amount  of  vertical  displacement  in  the  fault  or  monoclinal  fold.  The  higher 
region  has  suffered  a  greater  amount  of  erosion,  and  as  erosion  progresses 
chiefly  by  undermining,  as  I  have  explained  in  the  discussion  of  the  Terrace 
Canons,  the  cliffs  of  the  higher  blocks  stand  farther  back  from  the  axis  of 
upheaval  than  those  of  the  lower  blocks. 

The  general  line  of  these  cliffs  is  broken  in  another  way.  Streams, 
heading  on  the  high  plateaus  to  the  north,  run  southward  into  the  Grand 
Canon,  and  have  carved  out  canons  through  the  cliffs,  and  turned  the  escarp 
ment  far  back  into  the  several  benches,  so  that  instead  of  four  unbroken 
walls  facing  the  south,  and  having  an  easterly  and  westerly  direction,  we 
have,  in  fact,  a  series  of  salients  and  re-entering  angles. 

Entering  this  country  from  the  east  or  west,  it  is  necessary  to  climb 
great  benches,  due  to  displacements  along  faults,  and  crossing  it  from  south 
to  north,  it  is  necessary  to  climb  great  benches,  but  these  are  due  to  erosion; 
so  we  have  two  systems  of  cliffs — cliffs  of  displacement,  having  a  northerly 
and  southerly  trend,  and  cliffs  of  erosion,  having  an  easterly  and  westerly 
trend. 

The  first — cliffs  of  displacement — are  of  two  classes:  those  facing  the 
west,  where  the  throw  of  the  beds  is  on  the  western  side  of  the  fracture,  and 
those  facing  the  east,  where  the  throw  of  the  beds  is  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  fracture. 

The  cliffs  of  erosion  are  very  irregular  in  direction,  but  somewhat  con 
stant  in  vertical  outline;  and  the  cliffs  of  displacement  are  somewhat  regular 
in  direction,  but  very  inconstant  in  vertical  outline.  This  inconstancy  is 
due  to  the  frequent  changes  in  the  character  of  the  faults,  which  I  have 
previously  described. 

In  the  Echo  Cliffs,  east  of  Marble  Canon,  a  line  of  cliffs,  due  to  ero 
sion,  and  a  slope  due  to  displacement,  have  come  together,  back  to  back. 
The  position  of  the  slope  is  essentially  unchangeable,  as  it  is  due  to  a 
flexure;  but  the  escarpment,  due  to  erosion,  has  doubtless  been  carried  back 
from  Marble  Canon  to  the  east,  until  it  has  just  reached  this  .slope.  Figure 


192  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

76  is  a  cross  section,  intended  to  represent  the  structure  of  these  interesting 
cliffs.  In  some  places,  the  erosion  of  the  western  escarpment  has  been 
carried  back  farther  than  the  line  of  displacement;  in  other  places,  not 
quite  up  to  it.  But  wherever  the  line  of  erosion  has  been  brought  up  to  the 
line  of  displacement,  or  near  it,  we  find  the  rocks  standing  in  sharp  crags. 

I  have  heretofore  explained  that  one  of  the  conditions  essential  to  the 
cliff  structure  is  that  the  beds  of  the  summit  must  be  comparatively  hard, 
and  the  beds  below,  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  very  soft;  and  this  condition  is 
well  illustrated  in  these  cliffs.  Now  the  lower  beds  are  turned  down,  by  the 
monoclinal  fold,  below  the  reach  of  the  waters  employed  in  degradation,  as 
you  pass  across  the  fold  from  west  to  east,  and  hence  these  cliffs  cannot  be 
carried  farther  to  the  east,  by  the  progress  of  undermining,  as  long  as  the 
present  conditions  exist;  and  now  the  agency  of  erosion  can  only  be  exerted 
in  obliterating  the  ridge.  For  this  reason  the  ridge  disappears  in  those 
places  along  its  line  where  the  undermining  erosion  from  the  west  has  pro 
gressed  the  farthest. 

•  On  the  western  side  of  the  Paria  Plateau  there  is  an  escarpment,  facing 
the  west,  due  to  erosion,  and  the  line  of  the  escarpment,  on  its  northern  end, 
coincides  with  the  line  of  flexure  of  the  Eastern  Kaibab  Fault.  Here,  again, 
we  have  a  line  of  crags  or  peaks,  forming  an  irregular  ridge,  like  that  in  the 
Echo  Cliffs;  but  this  stands  on  the  brink  of  a  well  defined  plateau,  and  is 
higher  than  the  general  surface  of  the  table.  The  crags  and  peaks  are 
carved  from  the  upturned  edges  of  the  beds.  The  slope  due  to  displace 
ment  is  seen  farther  to  the  west,  and  is  the  slope  of  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  and 
faces  the  escarpment.  Only  a  small  portion  of  this  slope  is  seen  in  the  edge 
of  the  plateau,  where  stands  the  line  of  crags.  The  softer  beds  at  the  bottom, 
which  constitute  one  of  the  conditions  on  which  the  escarpment  depends,  are 
still  exposed  to  the  action  of  rains  and  streams,  and  the  cliff  condition  is  not 
terminated,  as  in  the  section  previously  given,  and  future  erosion  will  carry 
this  line  of  cliffs  back  to  the  east,  as  long  as  the  present  conditions  are  pre 
served. 

Figure  77  is  a  section  extending  from  the  Paria  Plateau,  on  the  east, 
across  House  Rock  Valley,  to  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  on  the  west,  and  shows 
the  upturned  edges  of  the  rocks  on  the  brink  of  the  Paria  Plateau.  The 


THE  GKAND  CANON  OF  THE  COLORADO.          193 

sharp  crags  and  peaks  seen  along  this  edge  of  the  Paria  Plateau  are  not 
well  represented  in  the  section,  as  it  was  taken  along  the  line  a  little  too  far 
to  the  south  for  that  purpose. 

So  the  district  of  country  through  which  the  Grand  Canon  is  cut,  is 

divided  into  blocks  by  cliffs  and  canons,  and  to  each  of  the  greater  blocks 

~  \ 

we  have  given  a  name,  and  called  it  a  plateau.  Only  a  few  of  these,  like 
the  Kaibab,  are  well  denned  as  tables,  i.  e.,  blocks  of  land  bounded  on  all 
sides  by  escarpments  and  slopes,  which  descend  to  lower  lands.  Many  of 
them  have  escarpments  and  slopes  to  lower  lands  only  on  two  or  three  sides, 
while  the  escarpments  on  the  other  sides  are  ascents  to  other  plateaus.  I 
shall  not  linger  here  to  describe  these  plateaus  in  detail,  but  shall  defer  a 
more  thorough  discussion  of  the  subject  to  the  detailed  report  on  the  geology 
of  the  district. 

THE  GRAND  CANON. 

Through  these  tables  the  Colorado  runs,  in  an  easterly  and  westerly 
direction,  in  a  deep  gorge,  known  as  the  Grand  Canon. 

The  varying  depths  of  this  canon,  due  to  the  varying  altitudes  of  the 
plateaus  through  which  it  runs,  can  only  be  seen  from  above.  As  we  wind 
about  in  the  gloomy  depths  below,  the  difference  between  4,000  and  6,000 
feet  is  not  discerned,  but  the  characteristics  of  the  canon — the  scenic  fea 
tures — change  abruptly  with  the  change  in  the  altitude  of  the  walls,  as  the* 
faults  are  passed.  In  running  the  channel,  which  divides  the  twin  plateaus, 
we  pass  around  the  first  great  southern  bend.  In  the  very  depths  of  the 
canon  we  have  black  granite,  with  a  narrow  cleft,  through  which  a  great 
river  plunges.  This  granite  portion  of  the  walls  is  carved  with  deep  gulches 
and  embossed  with  pinnacles  and  towers.  Above  are  broken,  ragged,. non- 
conformable  rocks,  in  many  places  sloping  back  at  a  low  angle.  Clamber 
ing  over  these,  we  reach  rocks  lying  in  horizontal  beds.  Some  are  soft; 
many  very  hard;  _the  softer  strata  are  washed  out;  the  harder  remain  as 
shelves.  Everywhere  there  are  side  gulches  and  canons,  so  that  these 
gulches  are  set  about  ten  thousand  dark,  gloomy  alcoves.  One  might  imag 
ine  that  this  was  intended  for  the  library  of  the  gods;  and  it  was.  The 
shelves  are  not  for  books,  but  form  the  stony  leaves  of  one  great  book.  He 
who  would  read  the  language  of  the  universe  may  dig  out  letters  here  and 
23  COL 


194  EXPLOITATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

there,  and  with  them  spell  the  words,  and  read,  in  a  slow  and  imperfect 
way,  but  still  so  as  to  understand  a  little,  the  story  of  creation. 

These  rust  colored  shelves  have  above  them  soft  shales,  of  a  lemon 
color,  and  in  ascending  the  wall  we  climb  them  by  passing  up  a  steep  slope, 
curiously  carved  by  innumerable  rainy-day  rills.  Above  these  we  find 
homogeneous  limestone  a  thousand  feet  in  thickness,  standing  in  vertical 
cliffs.  On  top  of  this  great  bed  we  find  soft  sandstones,  so  washed  away 
as  to  leave  comparatively  flat  spaces  of  solid  rock  above — a  bench  on  which 
we  can  walk  on  the  side  of  the  Grand  Canon,  more  than  four  thousand  feet 
above  the  river.  In  this  part  ot  its  course  the  channel  is  very  tortuous. 
Many  streams  he'ad  in  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  to  the  north,  and  the  Coanini 
Plateau,  to  the  south,  and  run  down  into  the  Grand  Canon ;  and  these  have 
their  lateral  canons,  and  a  third  and  fourth  system  of  side  gulches  are  seen, 
all  having  winding  ways.  Now  suppose  that  we  start  on  this  bench,  where 
the  Grand  Canon  cuts  through  the  second  of  the  Eastern  Kaibab  Faults, 
and  follow  it  down  the  canon  until  we  come  to  the  Western  Kaibab  .Fault. 
We  start  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  and  the  Kaibab  Plateau  is  on  our 
right.  At  once  we  walk  around  a  great  amphitheater,  the  head  of  a  side 
gulch,  and  then  another,  and  another,  until  we  come  to  a  lateral  canon 
coming  down  the  Kaibab,  which  has  its  beginning  many  miles  back.  Now 
•we  must  head  this.  In  doing  so  we  must  walk  around  the  brink  of  a  great 
amphitheater,  the  head  of  a  side  gulch,  then  another,  and  still  another,  until 
we  come  to  a  side  caiion  lateral  to  the  one  we  are  attempting  to  head,  and 
around  it  we  must  go.  In  doing  so,  still  following  the  bench  on  the  sum 
mit  of  the  limestone,  we  pass  around,  in  gentle  curves,  by  many  of  these 
amphitheaters,  and  so  on  we  go,  everywhere  traveling  in  half  circles,  which 
are  arranged  about  side  canons.  At  last  we  head  the  first  side  canon,  and 
return  to  the  brink  of  the  Grand  Canon,  at  a  point  only  a  mile  or  two  to  the 
west  of  where  we  started,  and  so  head  side  caiions  with  side  canons,  all  set 
with  amphitheaters,  and  travel  day  by  day,  and  must  walk  hundreds  of 
miles  to  reach  the  western  edge  of  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  not  more  than  thirty 
miles  in  a  direct  line  from  where  we  started.  So  this  great  bed  of  rock,  a 
thousand  feet  in  thickness,  is  elaborately  carved  into  a  series  of  amphi 
theaters. 


NAKED  ROCK.  195 

Above  this  bed  of  limestone  we  have  beds  of  bright  red  sandstones, 
weathered  so  as  to  form  shelves  on  a  scale  even  greater  than  in  the  rust 
colored  rocks' below,  but  in  many  places  they  break  down  in  steep  slopes. 
Then  above  we  have  buff  and  gray  sandstones,  and  limestones  heavily  bed 
ded,  and  near  the  summit,  where  the  limestone  prevails,  they  are  full  of 
nodules  of  chert.  This  cherty  limestone  weathers  in  columns,  and  towers, 
and  pinnacles;  curious  forms  of  standing  rock  are  arranged  all  along  the 
brink  of  the  canon  wall. 

So  below  we  have  granite  buttresses,  themselves  set  with  pinnacles  and 
towers,  then  broken  slopes,  then  somber  recesses,  set  with  ragged  shelves, 
then  strangely  carved  and  fretted  slopes,  and  lemon  colored  shales,  then 
vast  amphitheaters  of  marble,  then  red  slopes  and  sandstone  shelves,  then 
cliffs  of  ragged  limestone,  set  with  towers. 

The  wonderful  elaboration  and  diversity  with  which  this  work  has  been 
done  is  only  equaled  by  the  vast  scale  on  which  the  plan  was  laid. 

In  many  places  the  conditions  of  erosion  have  been  such  that  great 
blocks  have  been  severed  from  the  main  plateau  and  stand  as  outliers,  their 
sides  having  all  the  elaborate  sculpture  of  the  walls  of  the  canon.  Lieu 
tenant  Ives,  who  explored  the  lower  Colorado,  made  a  land  trip,  from  a  point 
below  the  Grand  Canon  around  to  the  southwest,  and  climbed  the  San  Fran 
cisco  Plateau,  and  from  an  elevated  point  he  could  look  off  to  the  northeast 
and  see  the  region  of  which  we  are  now  speaking.  Of  this  country  he  says: 
"The  extent  and  magnitude  of  the  system  of  canons  in  that  direction  is 
astounding.  The  plateau  is  cut  into  shreds  by  these  gigantic  chasms,  and 
resembles  a  vast  ruin.  Belts  of  country,  miles  in  width,  have  been  swept 
away,  leaving  only  isolated  mountains  standing  in  the  gap — fissures,  so  pro 
found  that  the  eye  cannot  penetrate  their  depths,  are  separated  by  walls 
whose  thickness  one  can  almost  span,  and  slender  spires,  that  seem  tottering 
upon  their  base,  shoot  up  a  thousand  feet  from  vaults  below." 

In  other  regions,  the  rocks,  when  not  covered  with  soil,  or  more  vigor 
ous  vegetation,  are  at  least  lichened,  or  stained,  and  the  rocks  themselves  of 
somber  hue,  but  in  this  region  they  are  naked,  and  many  of  them  brightly 
colored,  as  if  painted  by  artist  gods ;  not  stained  and  daubed  with  inharmo 
nious  hues,  but  beautiful  as  flowers,  and  gorgeous  as  the  clouds.  Such  are 


196  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

the  walls  of  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado,  where  it  divides  the  twin 
plateaus. 

Having  crossed  the  Western  Kaibab  Fault,  the  canon  suddenly  changes 
in  character.  The  throw  of  the  rocks  being  more  than  one  thousand  five 
hundred  feet,  we  lose  the  granite,  and  the  bed  of  the  river  is  in  the  lemon 
colored  rocks,  and  now  for  many  miles  the  canon  is  comparatively  straight, 
and  the  walls  are  much  more  regular.  At  the  bottom  we  have  the  rusty 
beds,  and  then  the  lemon  colored  beds,  and  then  the  marble  cliffs,  and  when 
we  reach  the  summit  of  this  limestone  we  find  the  same  bench  as  above, 
under  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  but  here  it  is  wider,  ranging  from  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  to  two  or  three  miles.  Then  comes  a  sloping,  bright  red 
terrace,  and  back  of  it  the  cliffs  of  the  cherty  limestone,  with  standing  rocks 
on  the  brink. 

You  can  stand  on  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  and 
look  over  this  straight  stretch  of  canon  for  sixty  miles.  There  seems  to  be 
a  valley  enclosed  with  walls  one  thousand  five  hundred  or  two  thousand 
feet  high,  five  to  ten  miles  in  width,  with  a  narrow,  winding  gorge  down  its 
center. 

A  few  lateral  canons  come  in  on  either  side;  so  the  walls  are  broken 
here  and  there,  but  the  general  outline  is  well  preserved. 

Just  before  the  river  wheels  again  to  the  south,  in  the  second  great 
bend,  it  passes  the  To-ro'-weap  Fault,  which  extends  across  the  canon.  The 
rocks  have  dropped  down  about  eight  hundred  feet,  and  let  the  homogeneous 
limestone  nearly  down  to  the  water.  The  fissure  of  this  fault  has  been  the 
channel  through  which  floods  of  lava  have  been  forced  from  depths  below 
into  the  upper  world. 

Many  volcanic  cones  are  seen  standing  along  the  line  of  the  fault,  or 
on  the  branches  of  the  fissure.  One  of  these  volcanic  cones  stands  on  the 
very  brink  of  the  canon,  and  is  the  one  of  which  mention  was  made  in  the 
account  of  the  exploration. 

Passing  this,  the  course  of  the  river  is  southward,  and  once  more  the 
channel  enters  the  granite.  At  the  very  apex  of  this  bend,  Diamond  Creek 
makes  its  contribution  from  the  south,  and  it  was  here  that  Lieutenant  Ives 
and  Doctor  Newberry  came  down  to  the  depths  of  the  Grand  Canon. 


LATERAL  CANONS.  197 

Turning  here  again  to  the  north,  the  river  soon  passes  out  of  the  granite, 
and  then,  at  last,  out  of  the  canon,  where  the  Grand  Wash  comes  down  from 
the  north.  Around  this  second  great  bend  the  walls  of  the  canon  have  a 
more  simple  structure  than  in  the  first,  but  there  are  many  points  where 
views  can  be  obtained  of  a  simple  gorge,  much  more  impressive  as  such, 
than  in  the  complex  region  above. 

LATERAL  CANONS. 

Many  other  streams,  heading  to  the  north  and  south,  are  tributaries  of 
the  Colorado,  and  have  canons  which  are  lateral  to  the  Grand  Canon.  The 
Kanab  heads  away  to  the  north,  at  the  foot  of  the  Pink  Cliffs,  and  runs 
south  into  the  Grand  Carton,  passing  through  a  series  of  gorges.  Where  it 
cuts  through  the  successive  lines  of  cliffs,  it  presents  another  series  of  terrace 
canons,  in  many  respects  like  the  series  on  Green  River;  but  the  lower 
canon  of  the  Kanab,  which  comes  down  to  the  Colorado  River,  is  carved 
through  the  harder  limestones  and  sandstones  of  Carboniferous  Age,  and  its 
general  characteristics  are  the  same  as  those  of  Marble  Canon. 

The  Little  Colorado,  heading  away  off  to  the  southeast,  enters  the 
Grand  Canon  by  a  profound  gorge  of  its  own. 

From  the  south,  the  most  important  stream  is  Coanini  Creek,  which 
heads  near  the  San  Francisco  Mountain,  and  rapidly  finds  its  way  into  great 
depths. 

Besides  these  streams,  the  plateaus  are  cut  by  the  Rio  Virgen,  in  its 
upper  course,  which  empties  into  the  Colorado  below  the  Grand  Caiion,  and 
by  the  Paria,  which  heads  in  the  Pink  Cliffs,  and  enters  the  Colorado  at  the 
head  of  Marble  Canon. 

All  these  streams,  and  many  others  of  lesser  importance,  have  cut 
gorges  of  their  own;  and  they  all  have  wet- weather  affluents,  that  run  in 
deep  canons.  It  is  a  canon  land. 

THE    CANONS    CARVED    BY    RUNNING   WATERS. 

I  have  stated,  and  assumed,  from  time  to  time,  in  the  above  discussion, 
that  these  canons  have  been  cut  by  running  waters.  Professor  Newberry, 


198  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

who  first  studied  tliis  region,  in  his  report  on  the  geology  of  the  country 
which  he  visited,  says:  " Having  this  question  constantly  in  mind,  and 
examining,  with  all  possible  care,  the  structure  of  the  great  canons  which 
we  entered,  I  everywhere  found  evidence  of  the  exclusive  action  of  water 
in  their  formation.  The  opposite  sides  of  the  deepest  chasm  showed  perfect 
correspondence  of  stratification,  conforming  to  the  general  dip,  and  nowhere 
displacement;  and  the  bottom  rock,  so  often  dry  and  bare,  was  perhaps 
deeply  eroded,  but  continuous,  from  side  to  side,  a  portion  of  the  yet 
undivided  series  lying  below." 

Professor  Newberry  saw  the  great  canon  region  which  I  have  described 
only  on  its  southern  border,  but  where  the  canon  features  are  developed  on 
the  grandest  scale.  My  own  observations  overlap  his,  and  extend  to  the 
north  many  hundreds  of  miles;  and  during  the  last  six  years  I  have 
explored  many  thousands  of  miles  of  canons,  and  everywhere  the  facts 
observed  confirm  Professor  Newberry's  conclusions,  as  stated  above. 

Though  the  entire  region  has  been  folded  and  faulted  on  a  grand  scale, 
these  displacements  have  never  determined  the  course  of  the  streams.  The 
canons  are  seen  to  cut  across  them,  either  directly  or  obliquely,  here  and 
there,  and  in  a  few  instances,  I  have  observed  canons  to  follow  the  course 
of  faults  for  a  short  distance.  They  have  also  been  observed  to  run  back 
and  forth  across  a  fault;  but  such  instances  are  surprisingly  rare.  In  all 
the  canons  where  the  streams  are  not  so  large  as  to  cover  the  bottom, 
the  continuity  of  the  strata  below  has  been  apparent;  and  in  the  canons 
traversed  by  the  larger  streams,  the  beds  on  either  side  have  been  found  at 
the  same  altitude;  and  if  it  is  supposed  that  these  water-ways  were  deter 
mined  by  fissures,  then  such  fissures  were  made  without  displacement,  and 
did  not  extend  to  the  depths  now  reached  by  the  streams.  If  it  is  possible 
to  conceive  of  such  fissures,  they  must  have  been  quite  narrow;  in  fact,  the 
whole  supposition  is  evidently  absurd.  All  the  facts  concerning  the  relation 
of  the  water-ways  of  this  region  to  the  mountains,  hills,  canons,  and  cliffs, 
lead  to  the  inevitable  conclusion  that  the  system  of  drainage  was  determined 
antecedent  to  the  faulting,  and  folding,  and  erosion,  which  are  observed,  and 
antecedent,  also,  to  the  formation  of  the  eruptive  beds  and  cones. 


LIEUTENANT  IVES  ON  THE  GliAND  CANON.  199 

THE    U-IN-KA-EET   MOUNTAINS. 

The  plateaus  are  yet  modified  in  another  way.  Eruptive  mountains, 
beds  of  black  basalt,  and  volcanic  cones  are  found  here  and  there,  and  scoria 
and  ashes  are  scattered  over  the  land.  There  are  three  great,  irregular 
mountains  standing  on  the  bendh  between  the  To-ro'-weap  Fault  and  the 
Hurricane  Ledge  Fault.  These  great,  complex  masses  of  rock,  or  irregular 
mountains,  are  called  by  the  Indians  U-in-ka'-rets,  (Pine  Mountains.) 

Lieutenant  Whipple,  on  the  first  of  January,  1854,  while  making  a 
reconnaissance  for  a  railroad  route  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  camped  at  a  spring 
about  thirty  miles  to  the  southwest  of  the  San  Francisco  Mountain,  to  which 
he  gave  the  name  "New  Year's  Spring."  From  this  elevated  position  on  the 
plateau  he  looked  north,  and  over  the  chasm,  in  the  distance,  200  miles 
away,  he  saw  these  mountains.  Perhaps  he  discovered  but  a  single  peak, 
but  on  the  map  of  the  country  over  which  the  reconnaissance  was  made,  he 
has  indicated  these  peaks,  and  called  them  "High  Mountains."  Probably 
he  intended  this  as  a  provisional  name  only. 

In  the  winter  of  1857— '58,  when  Lieutenant  Ives  explored  the  Lower 
Colorado,  he  reached,  with  a  boat,  a  point  on  the  river  about  ten  miles  below 
the  Rio  Virgen,  and  about  eighty  miles  below  the  Grand  Canon.  Being 
unable  to  proceed  farther  in  his  boat,  a  land  expedition  was  organized,  and 
he  explored  the  plateaus  to  the  south,  descending  to  the  mouth  of  Diamond 
Creek,  as  I  have  mentioned.  His  first  view  of  the  canon,  and  the  great 
plateaus  through  which  it  is  carved,  was  obtained  April  3,  1858,  and  is  thus 
described:  "At  the  end  of  ten  miles  the  ridge  of  the  swell  was  attained,  and 
a  splendid  panorama  burst  suddenly  into  view.  In  the  foreground  were  low 
table  hills,  intersected  by  numberless  ravines;  beyond  these  a  lofty  line  of 
bluffs  marked  the  edge  of  an  immense  canon;  a  wide  gap  was  directly 
ahead,  and  through  it  were  beheld,  to  the  extreme  limit  of  vision,  vast  pla 
teaus,  towering  one  above  the  other,  thousands  of  feet  in  the  air,  the  long, 
horizontal  bands  broken,  at  intervals,  by  wide  and  profound  abysses,  and 
extending  a  hundred  miles  to  the  north-,  till  the  deep  azure  blue  faded  into 
a  light  cerulean  tint,  that  blended  with  the  dome  of  the  heavens.  The 
famous  Big  Canon  was  before  us,  and  for  a  long  time  we  paused  in  wonder- 


200          EXPLOEATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

ing  delight,  surveying  the  stupendous  formation  through  which  the  Colo 
rado  and  its  tributaries  break  their  way." 

On  the  12th  of  April  he  obtained  another  good  view  across  the  country 
to  the  north,  and,  in  his  account  of  the  day's  journey,  he  makes  this  remark: 
"On  the  north  side  of  the  Colorado  appeared  a  short  range  of  mountains, 
close  to  the  canon,  which  had  been  previously  hidden  by  the  intervening 
plateaus." 

On  the  map  of  the  country  embraced  in  this  reconnaissance,  a  group  of 
mountains  are  indicated,  and  called,  by  him,  "North  Side  Mountains" — a 
name  doubtless  intended  by  him  as  provisional.  They  are  the  same  as  those 
mentioned  by  Lieutenant  Whipple,  and  the  same  that  we  have  described  as 
standing  on  the  bench  between  the  To-ro'-weap  Cliffs  and  the  Hurricane 
Ledge.  The  Indian  name  U-in-ka' -rets  has  been  adopted  by  the  people  who 
live  in  sight  of  the  highest  peaks,  and  so  I  have  adopted  the  name  which 
will  doubtless  live  among  those  who  use  it  daily. 

The  most  northern  of  these  mountain  masses  I  have  called  Mount 
Trumbull,  the  next  "Mount  Logan,  and  the  one  standing  nearest  to  the  Grand 
Canon  Mount  Emma. 

The  great  mountain  masses  themselves  are  covered  with  volcanic  cones, 
and  groups  of  volcanic  cones  are  scattered  over  the  benches.  Let  us  see 
how  these  mountains  were  formed. 

We  have  seen  that  the  Uinta  Mountains  were  not  thrust  up  as  peaks, 
but  were  carved  from  a  vast,  rounded  block  left  by  a  retiring  sea,  or  uplifted 
from  the  depths  of  the  ocean,  and  its  present  forms  are  due  to  erosion! 
But  these  are  volcanic  cones.  Have  they,  then,  been  built  up  as  mount 
ains?  We  shall  see.  The  beds  of  sedimentary  rocks,  on  which  these 
mountains  stand,  run  under  the  Vermilion  Cliffs,  to  the  north,  and  the  beds 
seen  in  the  Vermilion  Cliffs  at  one  time  extended  far  away  to  the  south,  over 
this  country  and  beyond  the  Grand  Canon.  Shales,  sandstones,  and  lime 
stones,  several  thousand  feet  in  thickness,  have  been  washed  away  from  the 
summit  of  all  these  benches  south  of  the  cliffs. 

When  this  denudation  commenced,  there  were  no  faults  and  no  benches, 
and  streams  ran  down  from  the  north,  heading  in  the  Mar-ka'-gunt  and 
Pauns-a'-gunt  Plateaus,  and  found  their  way  into  the  Colorado,  and  probably 


U-IN-KA-RET  MOUNTAINS.  201 

there  were  valleys  along  their  courses.  Other  streams  had  their  sources  far 
away  to  the  south,  and  came  down  into  the  Colorado,  and  it  is  probable 
that  they  also  ran  through  valleys.  Then  these  displacements  began;  they 
were  not  formed  suddenly;  the  rocks  were  not  flung  down  during  some 
great  convulsion,  but  settled  slowly,  so  that  this  change  in  the  contour  of 
the  surface  had  no  effect  on  the  course  of  the  streams.  Thus  the  downfall 
of  the  beds  was  not  faster  than  the  wearing  away  of  the  channels,  for  the 
displacements  by  faults  and  folds  has  not  determined  nor  modified  the  direc 
tion  of  the  principal  streams.  As  the  rocks  fell,  molten  lava  was  thrust  up, 
not  suddenly,  nor  all  at  once,  but  from  time  to  time — now  here,  now  there — 
pouring  out  a  sheet  of  molten  rock  in  one  eruption,  and  again  in  another, 
and  this  commenced  away  back  in  that  time  before  the  shales  and  sand 
stones  seen  in  the  Vermilion  Cliffs  had  been  carried  away  from  the  benches 
and  plateaus  to  the  south.  Doubtless  these  first  floods  of  lava  found  their 
ways  into  valleys — valleys  in  that  elder  time — and  covered  great  beds  of 
these  sandstones  and  shales.  When  the  lavas  cooled,  the  rocks  which  they 
formed  were  much  harder  than  the  sandstones  by  which  they  were  under 
laid,  and  the  beds  which  formed  the  surface  of  the  country  elsewhere;  and 
as  the  degradation  of  this  region  by  rains  and  rivers  continued,  the  surround 
ing  country  was  carried  away,  and  the  sandstones  and  shales,  protected  by 
the  harder  beds  of  basalt,  remained;  and  now  mountains  stand  in  such 
places,  doubtless  marking  the  sites  of  ancient  valleys.  So  the  uncovered 
sandstones  wasted  away,  and  the  lava-capped  beds  remained,  leaving  at 
first  low  tables,,  covered  with  sheets  of  basalt.  Still,  from  time  to  time,  new 
beds  of  lava  were  poured  out — not  over  the  old  beds,  usually,  but  on  their 
borders,  increasing  their  protected  area;  and,  as  the  surrounding  sandstones 
were  still  farther  carried  away,  still,  pari  passu  with  erosion,  came  floods  of 
lava,  and  thus  the  mountains  which  remain  have  a  strangely  complex  con 
stitution.  We  may  call  them  eruptive  mountains,  for,  had  no  eruption 
occurred,  no  mountains  would  have  been  left;  all  of  the  sandstones  would 
have  been  carried  away.  But  yet  the  great  mass  of  the  material  of  which 
the  mountains  are  made  is  not  eruptive  matter;  the  mountains  are  great  beds 
of  sandstone  and  shale,  covered  with  blankets  of  basalt,  and,  in  a  general 
way,  the  older  beds  of  lava  have  the  higher  position  on  the  mountains. 
20  COL 


202  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

Since  these  vermilion  beds  were  stripped  from  the  adjacent  country, 
the  few  showers  of  this  arid  region  condense  chiefly  about  the  summits  of 
the  mountains,  and  the  waters,  gathering  into  streams,  and  running  down 
into  the  lower  region,  have  cut  deep  gulches  through  the  sheets  of  basalt, 
in  many  places  revealing  the  structure  of  the  mountains  themselves.  The 
last  puff  in  these .  eruptive  vents  tossed  high  into  the  air  scoria  and  ashes ; 
the  lighter  materials  were  carried  away  by  the  winds,  the  heavier  fragments 
fell,  and  thus  cinder-cones  were  piled  up;  and  in  many  of  these  cinder- 
cones  the  Outlines  of  the  craters  are  still  preserved. 

The  beds  of  lava  are  of  various  ages.  The  first  were  poured  out  in 
that  ancient  time  before  the  sandstones  had  been  carried  away.  From  time 
to  time  new  beds  were  formed,  and  the  latest  beds  have  been  poured  out  in 
a  time  so  recent,  that  the  very  waves  of  the  congealed  floods  are  still  pre 
served,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  this  action  is  completed.  In 
time  another  vent  may  be  opened,  and  another  river  of  red  hot  rock  gush 
from  the  earth.  Nor  are  all  the  cones  of  late  origin ;  each  outflow  of  molten 
matter  seems  to  have  ended  in  the  formation  of  a  cone.  In  the  elder  beds 
the  cones  have  been  washed  away,  but  their  sites  are  marked  by  scattered 
cinders.  In  the  very  latest  cones  the  craters  are  still  preserved,  and  their 
cinders  are  angular  fragments  of  slag,  that  show  that  many  storms  have  not 
fallen  upon  them  since  they  broke  in  cooling. 

So,  even  these  eruptive  mountains  were  hewn  from  the  rock,  and  only 
the  cinder-cones,  scattered  here  and  there,  small  in  comparison  to  the  great 
mountain  masses,  were  piled  up  in  their  present  forms. 

It  is  probable  that  the  cones  have  cores  which  extend  to  great  depths, 
and  perhaps  connect  the  sheets  of  basalt  above  with  masses  of  like  material 
below,  and  thus  the  more  enduring  and  protecting  beds  to  which  these 
mountains  owe  their  preservation  are  anchored  to  the  heart  of  the  earth. 

METHODS    OF    EROSION. 

In  this  and  the  foregoing  chapter  I  have  attempted  to  describe  the  agen 
cies  and  conditions  which  have  produced  the  more  important  topographic 
features  in  the  Valley  of  the  Colorado.  These  features  are  mountains,  hills, 
hog-backs,  bad-lands,  alcove  lands,  cliffs,  buttes,  and  canons.  The  primary 


METHODS  OF  EROSION.  203 

agency  in  the  production  of  these  features  is  upheaval,  i.  e.,  upheaval  in 
relation  to  the  level  of  the  sea,  though  it  may  possibly  be  down-throw  in 
relation  to  the  center  of  the  earth.  This  movement  in  portions  of  the  crust 
of  the  earth  may  be  by  great  folds,  with  anticlinal  or  synclinal  axes,  and  by 
monoclinal  folds  and  faults. 

The  second  great  agency  is  erosion,  and  the  action  of  this  agency  is 
conditioned  on  the  character  of  the  displacements  above  mentioned,  the 
texture  and  constitution  of  the  rocks,  and  the  amount  and  relative  distribution 
of  the  rains. 

In  a  district  of  country,  the  different  portions  of  which  lie  at  different 
altitudes  above  the  sea,  the  higher  the  region  the  greater  the  amount  of  rain 
fall,  and  hence  the  eroding  agency  increases  in  some  well  observed,  but  not 
accurately  defined,  ratio,  from  the  low  to  the  high  lands.  The  power  of 
running  water,  in  corrading  channels  and  transporting  the  products  of 
erosion,  increases  with  the  velocity  of  the  stream  in  geometric  ratio,  and 
hence  the  degradation  of  the  rocks  increases  with  the  inclination  of  the 
slopes.  Thus  altitude  ,and  inclination  both  are  important  elements  in  the 
problem. 

Let  me  state  this  in  another  way.  We  may  consider  the  level  of  the 
sea  to  be  a  grand  base  level,  below  which  the  dry  lands  cannot  be  eroded; 
but  we  may  also  have,  for  local  and  temporary  purposes,  other  base  levels 
of  erosion,  which  are  the  levels  of  the  beds  of  the  principal  streams  which 
carry  away  the  products  of  erosion.  (I  take  some  liberty  in  using  the  term 
level  in  this  connection,  as  the  action  of  a  running  stream  in  wearing  its 
channel  ceases,  for  all  practical  purposes,  before  its  bed  has  quite  reached 
the  level  of  the  lower  end  of  the  stream.  What  I  have  called  the  base  level 
would,  in  fact,  be  an  imaginary  surface,  inclining  slightly  in  all  its  parts 
toward  the  lower  end  of  the  principal  stream  draining  the  area  through 
which  the  level  is  supposed  to  extend,  or  having  the  inclination  of  its  parts 
varied  in  direction  as  determined  by  tributary  streams.)  Where  such  a 
stream  crosses  a  series  of  rocks  in  its  course,  some  of  which  are  hard,  and 
others  soft,  the  harder  beds  form  a  series  of  temporary  dams,  above  which 
the  corrasion  of  the  channel  through  the  softer  beds  is  checked,  and  thus 
we  may  have  a  series  of  base  levels  of  erosion,  below  which  the  rocks  on 


204  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

either  side  of  the  river,  though  exceedingly  friable,  cannot  be  degraded.  In 
these  districts  of  country,  the  first  work  of  rains  and  rivers  is  to  cut  chan 
nels,  and  divide  the  country  into  hills,  and,  perhaps,  mountains,  by  many 
meandering  grooves  or  water-courses,  and  when  these  have  reached  their 
local  base  levels,  under  the  existing  conditions,  the  hills  are  washed  down, 
but  not  carried  entirely  away. 

With  this  explanation  I  may  combine  the  statements  concerning  eleva 
tion  and  inclination  into  this  single  expression,  that  the  more  elevated  any 
district  of  country  is,  above  its  base  level  of  denudation,  the  more  rapidly 
it  is  degraded  by  rains  and  rivers. 

The  second  condition  in  the  progress  of  erosion,  is  the  character  of  the 
beds  to  be  eroded.  Softer  beds  are  acted  upon  more  rapidly  than  the  harder. 
The  districts  which  are  composed  of  softer  rocks  are  rapidly  excavated,  so 
as  to  become  valleys  or  plains,  while  the  districts  composed  of  harder  rocks 
remain  longer  as  hills  and  mountains. 

Where  the  beds  are  of  stratified  material,  so  that  the  change  from  harder 
to  softer  materials  is  from  bed  to  bed,  rather  than  from  district  to  district,  and 
in  a  vertical  or  inclined  direction,  rather  than  a  horizontal,  the  topographic 
features,  which  I  have  described  as  hog-backs  and  cliffs  of  erosion,  are  pro 
duced.  The  difference  between  hog-backs  and  cliffs  of  erosion  is  chiefly 
due  to  the  amount  of  dip  or  inclination  of  the  beds. 

But  there  is  another  condition  necessary  to  the  production  of  cliffs  and 
hog-backs  in  their  typical  forms.  The  country  must  be  arid,  for  where  there 
is  a  great  amount  of  rain-fall,  the  water  penetrates  and  permeates  the  rocks, 
and  breaks  them  up,  or  rots  them,  to  use  an  expression  which  has  been 
employed  with  this  meaning;  and  the  difference  between  the  durability  of 
the  harder  beds  and  that  of  the  softer,  is,  to  some  extent,  compensated  for 
by  this  agency,  though  doubtless  ridges  and  cliffs  may  be  produced  in  less 
arid  climates,  as  we  find  them  in  the  Appalachian  System,  but  not  so  well 
marked.  In  a  region  of  country  where  there  is  a  greater  amount  of  rain 
fall,  the  tendency  is  to  produce  hills  and  mountains,  rather  than  plateaus 
and  ridges,  with  escarpments. 

Now  let  us  examine  the  character  of  the  channels  which  running 
streams  carve.  Where  the  rocks  to  be  carved  are  approximately  horizontal, 


METHODS  OF  EROSION, 'CLASSIFIED.  205 

*• 

and  composed  of  stratified  beds  of  varying  thickness,  the  tendency  is  to  cut 
channels  with  escarpments  or  cliffs;  but  if  the  beds  are  greatly  inclined,  or 
composed  of  unstratified  material,  the  tendency  is  to  cut  channels  with  more 
flaring  and  irregular  walls.  These  tendencies  are  more  clearly  defined  when 
the  ineteorologic  conditions  are  favorable — that  is,  if  a  stream  cuts  through 
stratified  rocks,  in  an  arid  region,  and  carries  the  waters  from  a  district  more 
plentifully  supplied,  the  cliff  character  of  the  walls  is  increased;  and  where 
a  stream  runs  through  unstratified  rocks,  in  a  district  well  supplied  with 
rains,  the  walls  or  banks  of  the  stream  are  cut  down  in  more  gentle  slopes. 

For  purposes  of  discussion,  it  will  be  convenient  to  call  the  deep  chan 
nels  of  streams  through  table-lands,  in  arid  climates,  canons;  and  the  deep 
channels  of  streams  through  heterogeneous  beds,  in  a  moist  climate,  water- 
gaps,  or  narrows,  and  ravines. 

Having  in  view  the  forms  which  are  produced  by  erosion,  it  will  be 
convenient  to  classify  the  methods  of  erosion  as  follows:  First,  corrasion  by 
running  streams,  and,  second,  erosion  by  rains;  the  first  producing  channels 
along  well  defined  lines,  the  second  producing  the  general  surface  features 
of  the  landscape. 

Of  the  first  class  we  have  twd  varieties: 

A.  The  corrasion  of  water-gaps. 

B.  The  corrasion  of  canons. 

.   Of  the  second  class  we  have  three  varieties: 

A.  Cliff  erosion,  where  the  beds  are  slightly  inclined,  and  are  of  hete 
rogeneous  structure,  some  soft  and  others  hard;   and  for  the  production 
of  the  best  marked  forms,  the  climate  should  be  arid.     Here  the  progress 
of  erosion  is  chiefly  by  undermining. 

B.  Hog-back  erosion,  where  the  beds  have  a  greater  inclination,  but 
are  still  of  heterogeneous  structure.     Here  the  progress  of  erosion  is  by 
undermining  and  surface  washing,  and  the  typical  forms  would  require  an 
arid  climate. 

C.  Hill  and  mountain  erosion,  where  the  beds  may  lie  in  any  shape, 
and  be  composed  of  any  material  not  included  in  the  other  classes,  and  the 
progress  of  erosion  is  chiefly  by  surface  washing.     The  typical  forms  are 
found  in  a  moist  climate. 


206  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

There  i,s  still  another  agency  in  the  production  of  topographic  features, 
viz,  the  eruption  of  molten  matter  from  below  the  general  surface.  The 
beds  formed  are  soon  modified  by  erosion,  and  then  the  forms  produced  are 
due  to  that  agency,  and  fall  under  the  general  series.  But  there  is  a  time, 
immediately  after  the  eruption,  when  these  beds  lie  in  forms  due  to  igneous 
dynamics,  and  the  most  important  features  produced  are  cones.  These 
cones  are  very  conspicuous  features  of  the  landscape  over  much  of  the 
region  drained  by  the  Colorado  River. 

The  district  of  country  drained  by  the  Colorado  and  its  tributaries  is 
divided  into  two  parts,  by  a  well  marked  line  of  displacements.  The  lower 
third  of  the  valley,  which  lies  southward  from  this  line,  is  but  little  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  except  that  here  and  there  ranges  of  mountains  are  found. 
From  this  region,  there  is  usually  a  bold  step  to  a  higher. 

The  upper  two-thirds  of  the  area  drained  by  the  Colorado  is  from  four 
to  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  with  mountain  ranges  on 
-the  east,  north,  and  west,  of  greater  altitude.  The  bold  step  from  the  lower 
country  to  the  table  lands  is  usually  an  escarpment  in  rocks  of  Carboniferous 
Age,  marked,  here  and  there,  by  beds  of  lava,  and  along  its  margin  stand 
many  volcanic  cones.  San  Francisco  Mountain  is  made  up  of  a  group  of 
these  beds  of  eruptive  matter,  covering  stratified  rocks.  This  higher  region 
is  the  one  to  which  we  have  given  especial  attention  in  the  previous  dis 
cussion. 

The  principal  condensation  of  moisture  occurs  on  and  about  the  mount 
ains  standing  on  the  rim  of  the  basin,  the  region  within  being  arid. 

Bad-lands,  alcove  lands,  plains  of  naked  rock,  plains  of  drifting  sands, 
mesas,  plateaus,  buttes,  hog-backs,  cliffs,  volcanic  cones,  volcanic  mountains, 
canons,  canon  valleys,  and  valleys  are  all  found  in  this  region  and  make 
up  its  topographic  features.  Mountains,  hills,  and  small  elevated  valleys 
are  the  features  of  the  irregular  boundary  belt. 

No  valley  is  found  along  the  course  of  the  Colorado,  from  the  Grand 
Wash  toward  the  sources  of  the  river,  until  we  reach  the  head  of  Labyrinth 
Canon.  For  this  entire  distance  the  base  level  of  erosion  is  below  -the 
general  surface  level  of  the  country  adjacent  to  the  river,  but  at  Gunnison's 
Valley  we  have  a  local  base  level  of  erosion  which  has  resulted  in  the  pro- 


BASE  LEVELS  OF  EEOSION.  207 

duction  of  low  plains  and  hills  for  a  number  of  miles  back  from  the  stream. 
North  of  the  Caiion  of  Desolation  and  south  of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  another 
local  base  level  of  erosion  is  found,  so  near  to  the  general  surface  of  the 
country  that  we  find  a  district  of  valleys  and  low  hills  stretching  back  from 
Green  River,  up  the  Uinta  to  the  west,  and  White  River  to  the  east,  for  many 
miles.  North  of  the  Uinta  Mountains  a  third  local  base  level  of  erosion  is  seen, 
but  its  influence  on  the  topographic  features  is  confined  to  a  small  area  of 
two  or  three  hundred  square  miles.  Going  up  the  chief  lateral  streams  of 
the  Colorado,  we  find  one  or  more  of  these  local  base  levels  of  erosion,  where 
the  streams  course  through  valleys. 

Where  these  local  base  levels  of  erosion  exist,  forming  valley  and  hill 
regions,  the  streams  no  longer  cut  their  channels  deeper,  and  the  waters  of 
the  streams,  running  at  a  low  angle,  course  slowly  along  and  are  not  able  to 
carry  away  the  products  of  surface  wash,  and  these  are  deposited  along  the 
flood-plains,  in  part,  and  in  the  valleys,  among  hills,  and  on  the  gentler  slopes. 
This  results  in  a  redistribution  of  the  material  in  irregular  beds  and  aggre 
gations. 

In  this  region,  there  are  occasional  local  storms  of  great  violence. 
Such  storms  may  occur  in  any  particular  district  only  at  intervals  of  many 
years,  possibly  centuries.  When  such  a  one  does  occur,  it  reopens  great 
numbers  of  channels  that  have  been  filled  by  the  ordinary  wash  of  rains, 
and  often  cuts  a  new  channel  through  beds  which  have  accumulated  in  the 
manner  above  described.  The  structure  of  these  beds  is  weU  exposed,  and 
we  find  beds  of  clay,  beds  of  sand,  and  beds  of  gravel  occurring  in  a  very 
irregular  way,  due  to  the  vicissitudes  of  local  wash,  and,  where  the  progress 
of  erosion  has  been  more  or  less  by  undermining,  larger  fragments  or  boul 
ders  are  found,  and  these  boulders  are  sometimes  mixed  with  clay,  and  some 
times  with  sand  and  gravel,  and  where  thin  sheets  of  eruptive  rocks  have 
been  torn  to  pieces,  more  or  less  by  undermining,  (for  such  is  the  usual  way 
in  this  country,)  the  beds  appear  to  contain  erratics,  and  in  fact  some  of  the 
rocks  are  erratics,  for  in  the  various  changes  in  the  levels  produced  they  have 
often  been  transported  many  miles,  not  by  sudden  and  rapid  excursions,  but 
moved  a  little  from  time  to  time. 

Again,  the  beds  from  which  they  were  derived,  doubtless,  in  many  cases 


208  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

have  been  broken  up  or  lost,  and  these  fragments  only  remain  to  attest  to 
the  existence  of  such  beds  in  some  former  time,  and  all  stages  may  be  ob 
served,  from  the  beds  the  edges  only  of  which  have  been  broken  up,  to  those 
that  have  only  fragments  remaining  or  have  entirely  disappeared.  Another 
interesting  fact  has  been  observed,  that  these  erratics  or  boulders  are  often 
found  distributed  somewhat  in  lines  due  to  the  undermining  of  lines  of  cliffs. 
Often  where  we  have  cliffs  capped  with  a  bed  of  lava,  former  and  more  ad 
vanced  positions  of  these  lines  of  cliffs  can  be  recognized  by  the  position  of 
lines  of  lava  fragments  which  are  seen  in  the  valley  or  plains  in  front  of 
the  cliffs.  It  will  be  seen  that  these  local  accumulations  of  material,  due  to 
the  excess  of  erosion  over  that  of  transportation,  greatly  resemble  the  accu 
mulations  of  "the  Drift."  Especially  is  this  true  where  I  have  studied  the 
latter  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and  I  have  been  led  to  query  whether 
it  may  not  be  possible  to  refer  the  origin  of  the  Drift  of  the  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  in  part  at  least,  to  some  such  action  as  this ;  not  that  I  question 
the  evidence  of  extended  glacial  action  in  that  region,  but  may  it  not  be 
that  this  glacial  action  has  only  resulted  in  somewhat  modifying  a  vast  ac 
cumulation  of  irregularly  bedded  material,  originally  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  grand  base  level  of  erosion  had  been  reached  by  the  running  streams  of 
that  region,  and  hills  and  mountains  had  been  degraded  by  having  the  ma 
terial  of  which  they  were  composed  scattered  over  lower  lands,  without  being 
carried  away  by  streams  to  the  sea? 

All  the  mountain  forms  of  this  region  are  due  to  erosion ;  all  the  canons, 
channels  of  living  rivers  and  intermittent  streams,  were  carved  by  the  run 
ning  waters,  and  they  represent  an  amount  of  corrasion  difficult  to  compre 
hend.  But  the  carving  of  the  canons  and  mountains  is  insignificant,  when 
compared  with  the  denudation  of  the  whole  area,  as  evidenced  in  the  cliffs 
of  erosion.  Beds  hundreds  of  feet  in  thickness  and  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  square  miles  in  extent,  beds  of  granite  and  beds  of  schist,  beds  of  marble 
and  beds  of  sandstone,  crumbling  shales  and  adamantine  lavas  have  slowly 
yielded  to  the  silent  and  unseen  powers  of  the  air,  and  crumbled  into  dust 
and  been  washed  away  by  the  rains  and  carried  into  the  sea  by  the  rivers. 

The  story  we  have  told  is  a  history  of  the  war  of  the  elements  to  beat 
back  the  march  of  the  lands  from  ocean  depths. 


NOT  A  REGION  OF  MOST  EAPID  EROSION.  209 

And  yet  the  conditions  necessary  to  great  erosion  in  the  Valley  of  the 
Colorado  are  not  found  to  exceed  those  of  many  other  regions.  In  fact,  the 
aridity  of  the  climate  is  such  that  this  may  be  considered  a  region  of  lesser, 
rather  than  greater,  erosion.  We  may  suppose  that,  had  this  country  been 
favored  with  an  amount  of  rain-fall  similar  to  that  of  the  Appalachian  coun 
try,  and  many  other  districts  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  that  the  base  level 
of  erosion  of  the  entire  area  would  have  been  the  level  of  the  sea ;  and, 
under  such  circumstances,  though  the  erosion  would  have  been  much  greater 
than  we  now  find,  the  evidences  of  erosion  would  have  been  more  or  less 
obliterated. .  As  it  is,  we  are  able  to  study  erosion  in  this  country,  and  find 
evidences  of  its  progress  and  its  great  magnitude,  from  the  very  fact  that 
the  conditions  of  erosion  have  been  imperfect. 

It  is  proper  to  remark  here  that  erosion  does  not  increase  in  ratio  to 
the  increase  of  the  precipitation  of  moisture,  cceteris  paribus,  as  might  be 
supposed ; .  for,  with  the  increase  of  rains  there  will  be  an  increase  of  vege 
tation,  which  serves  as  a  protection  to  the  rocks,  and  distributes  erosion 
more  evenly,  and  it  may  be  that  a  great  increase  of  rains  in  this  region 
would  only  produce  a  different  series  of  topographic  outlines,  without  greatly 
increasing  the  general  degradation  of  the  Valley  of  the  Colorado. 

To  a  more  thorough  discussion  of  this  subject  I  hope  to  return  at  some 
future  time. 

From  the  considerations  heretofore  presented,  it  is  not  thought  neces 
sary  to  refer  the  exhibition  of  erosion  shown  in  the  canons  and  cliffs  to  a 
more  vigorous  action  of  aqueous  dynamics  than  now  exists,  for,  as  I  have 
stated,  a  greater  precipitation  of  moisture  would  have  resulted  in  a  very 
different  class  of  topographic  features.  Instead  of  canons,  we  should  have 
had  water-gaps  and  ravines ;  instead  of  valleys  with  cliff  like  walls,  we 
should  have  had  valleys  bounded  by  hills  and  slopes ;  and  if  the  conclusions 
to  which  we  have  arrived  are  true,  the  arid  conditions  now  existing  must 
have  extended  back  for  a  period  of  time  of  sufficient  length  to  produce  the 
present  canons  and  cliffs.  But  there  are  facts  which  seem  to  warrant  the 
conclusion  that  this  condition  has  existed  for  a  much  longer  period  than  that 
necessary  for  the  production  of  the  present  features ;  that  is,  the  character 
istics  of  the  present  topography  have  existed  for  a  long  time.  There  are 
27  COL 


210  EXPLORATION  OP  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

evidences  that  the  lines  of  cliffs  themselves  have  been  carried  back  for  great 
distances  as  cliffs  by  undermining,  which  is  a  process  carried  on  only  in  an 
arid  region. 

The  evidence  is  of  this  character.  I  have  stated  that  the  drainage  of 
the  inclined  plateaus  is  usually  from  the  brink  of  the  cliffs  backward;  i.  e., 
the  water  falling  on  the  plateau  does  not  find  its  way  immediately  over  the 
cliffs,  but  runs  from  the  very  brink  or  edge  of  the  plateau  back  toward  the 
middle  or  farther  side,  which  is  usually  found  against  the  foot  of  another  line 
of  cliffs,  and  here  the  waters  are  turned  toward  some  greater  channel,  which 
runs  against  the  dip  and  cuts  through  the  cliffs.  Now  the  water-ways  at  the 
heads  of  these  streams  that  have  their  sources  near  the  brink  of  the  cliffs 
would  always  be  small,  shallow,  and  ramifying  into  many  minute  branches 
if  the  line  of  cliffs  were  a  fixed  or  immovable  line,  but  we  often  find  that  the 
cliffs  have  been  carried  back  by  the  undermining  process  until  all  these  mi 
nute  ramifications  have  been  cut  off;  and  we  find  canons  opening  on  the 
faces  of  the  cliffs,  the  waters  of  which  run  backward  as  above  described. 

Let  us  suppose  that  we  have  a  line  of  cliffs  with  an  escarpment  facing 
the  south.  The  rain,  falling  on  the  escarpment  and  in  the  region  south  of 
the  cliffs,  would  run  toward  the  south  or  along  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  until  it 
reached  some  more  important  water  channel ;  the  rain  falling  on  the  plateau, 
from  the  brink  of  the  cliffs  backward,  would  run  toward  the  north,  and  the 
waters  falling  on  this  upper  region  would  excavate  channels  for  themselves, 
and,  under  proper  conditions,  canons  would  be  cut.  As  the  cliffs  are  under 
mined  and  this  line  carried  back  into^the  plateau,  the  area  with  a  southern 
drainage  would  be  increased,  the  area  with  a  northern  drainage  correspond 
ingly  diminished,  and,  when  the  process  had  continued  for  a  sufficient  length 
of  time,  we  would  find  the  southern  edge  of  the  plateau  carried  away  by  this 
undermining  process,  until  all  the  heads  of  the  streams  were  cut  off  and  until 
the  line  had  reached  the  canons. 

Gradually,  during  the  progress  of  erosion,  the  excavation  of  the  bottom 
of  the  canons  would  cease,  as  the  supply  of  water  running  through  them 
would  be  cut  off,  and  such  caiions  would  have  to  be  considered  as  compara 
tively  ancient.  Such  facts  are  frequently  observed  in  this  caiion  and  cliff 
country. 

From  such  considerations,  it  seems  that  we  may  safely  conclude  that 


GILBERT  ON  THE  GLACIAL  EPOCH  IN  THE  "GREAT  BASIN."    211 

the  cliff  topography  has  prevailed  in  that  region  for  a  long  time.  There  are 
evidences  also  that  there  were  canons  here  before  the  present  canons  were 
carved.  The*  facts  in  relation  to  this  matter  can  be  better  stated  when  we 
come  to  discuss  the  geology  of  the  region. 

Mr.  G.  K.  Gilbert,  a  geologist  of  Lieutenant  Wheeler's  corps,  in  a  paper 
communicated  to  the  Philosophical  Society  of  Washington,  in  1873,  deduced 
a  similar  conclusion  from  an  independent  series  of  facts  observed  in  Western 
Utah.  The  basin  of  Great  Salt  Lake,  a  portion  of  what  Fremont  designated 
the  "  Great  Basin,"  has  now  so  dry  a  climate  that  its  waters  gather  in  its 
lowest  parts  and  evaporate  and  have  no  outlet  to  the  sea.  In  a  former 
period,  however,  there  was  more  rain,  the  valley  was  filled  with  water  to  its 
brim,  and  in  place  of  the  Salt  Lake  Desert,  there  was  a  broad  and  deep 
fresh  lake,  discharging  its  surplus  into  the  Columbia  River.  The  epoch  of 
this  lake  Mr.  Gilbert  finds  reason  to  consider  identical  with  the  Glacial 
Epoch,  and  it  was  of  limited  duration.  Among  its  vestiges  are  deposits  of 
fossiliferous  marl,  which  are  conspicuously  contrasted  with  the  gravels  and 
sand  that  now  slowly  accumulate  in  the.  same  region,  borne  by  the  intermit 
tent  streams  that  descend  from  the  mountains.  Where  the  beds  are  super 
posed,  the  marls  testify  to  a  moist  climate  and  the  gravels  to  a  climate  so 
dry  that  the  basin  was  never  filled  with  water.  But  above  the  marls  are 
found  only  scattered  and  thin  deposits  of  gravel,  while  below  them  the 
gravel  beds  are  omnipresent  and  of  great  depth,  and  hence  it  was  reasoned 
that  the  arid  period  that  preceded  the  Glacial  Epoch  was  many  times  longer 
than  that  which  has  followed  it. 

Even  during  the  Glacial  Epoch,  Mr.  Gilbert  considers  that  "the  Atlantic 
slope",  and  the  region  of  the  Great  Basin,  were  contrasted  in  climate,  just  as 
now.  The  general  causes  that  covered  the  humid  east  with  a  mantle  of  ice, 
sufficed,  in  the  arid  west,  only  to  flood  the  valleys  with  fresh  water,  and  send 
a  few  ice  streams  down  the  highest  mountain  gorges."* 

RECORDS  OF  MORE  ANCIENT  LANDS. 

The  summit  of  the  Kaibab  Plateau  is  more  than  six  thousand  feet  above 
the  river,  and  I  have  already  mentioned  that  the  summit  of  the  plateau  is 
also  the  summit  of  rocks  of  Carboniferous  Age.  These  beds  are  about  three 

*  Bulletin  Phil.  Soc..  Washington,  46th  meeting,  April  26, 1873. 


212  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

thousand  five  hundred  feet  in  thickness,  and  beneath  them  we  have  a  thou 
sand  feet  of  conformable  rocks  of  undetermined  age.  This  gives  us  4,500 
feet,  from  the  summit  of  the  plateau  down  to  the  non- conformable  beds. 
Still  beneath  these  we  have  1,500  feet,  so  that  we  have  more  than  one  thou 
sand  five  hundred  feet  of  other  rocks  exposed  in  the  depths  of  the  Grand 
Gallon.  Standing  on  some  rock,  which  has  fallen  from  the  wall  into  the 
river — a  rock  so  large  that  its  top  lies  above  the  water — and  looking  over 
head,  we  see  a  thousand  feet  of  crystalline  schists,  with  dikes  of  greenstone, 
and  dikes  and  beds  of  granite.  Heretofore  we  have  given  the  general  name 
granite  to  this  group  of  rocks;  still,  above  them  we  oan  see  beds  of  hard, 
vitreous  sandstone  of  many  colors,  but  chiefly  dark  red.  This  group  of 
rocks  adds  but  little  more  than  five  hundred  feet  to  the  height  of  the  walls, 
and  yet  the  beds  are  10,000  feet  in  thickness.  How  can  this  be?  The  beds 
themselves  are  non-conformable  with  the  overlying  Carboniferous  rocks ;  that 
is,  the  Carboniferous  rocks  are  spread  over  their  upturned  edges. 

In  Illustration  79  we  have  a  section  of  the  rocks  of  the  Grand  Canon. 
A,  A  represents  the  granite;  a,  a,  dikes  and  eruptive  beds;  B,  B,  these  non- 
conformable  rocks.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  beds  incline  to  the  right.  The 
horizontal  beds  above,  (7,  C  are  rocks  of  Carboniferous  Age,  with  under 
lying  conformable  beds.  The  distance  along  the  wall  marked  by  the  line 
x,  y,  is  the  only  part  of  its  height  represented  by  these  rocks,  but  the  beds 
are  inclined,  and  their  thickness  must  be  measured  by  determining  the  thick 
ness  of  each  bed.  This  is  done  by  measuring  the  several  beds  along  lines 
normal  to  the  planes  of  stratification;  and,  in  this  manner,  we  find  them  to 
be  10,000  feet  in  thickness. 

Doubtless,  at  some  time  before  the  Carboniferous  rocks  C,  C  were  formed, 
the  beds  B,  B  extended  off  to  the  left,  but  between  the  periods  of  depo 
sition  of  the  two  series,  B,  B  and  (7,  C  there  was  a  period  of  erosion.  The 
beds,  themselves,  are  records  of  the  invasion  of  the  sea;  the  line  of  separa 
tion,  the  record  of  a  long  time  when  the  region  was  dry  land.  The  events 
in  the  history  of  this  intervening  time,  the  period  of  dry  land,  one  might 
suppose  were  all  lost.  What  plants  lived  here,  we  cannot  learn ;  what  ani 
mals  roamed  over  the  hills,  we  know  not;  and  yet  there  is  a  history  which 
is  not  lost,  for  we  find  that  after  these  beds  were  formed  as  sediments  beneath 
the  sea,  and  still  after  they  had  been  folded,  and  the  sea  had  left  them,  and 


Figure  79. — Section  of  wall  in  tbe  Grand  Cafion. 


EVENTS  IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PERIOD  OF  DRY  LAND.      213 

the  rains  had  fallen  on  the  country  long  enough  to  carry  out  ten  thousand  feet 
of  rocks,  the  extension  of  these  beds  to  the  south,  which  were  cut  away,  and 
yet  before  the. overlying  Carboniferous  rocks  were  formed  as  sediments  of 
sand  and  triturated  coral  reefs,  and  ground  shells  and  pulverized  bones, 
some  interesting  events  occurred,  the  records  of  which  are  well  preserved. 
This  region  of  country  was  fissured,  and  the  rocks"  displaced  so  as  to  form 
faults,  and  through  the  fissures  floods  of  lava  were  poured,  which,  on  cool 
ing,  formed  beds  of  trap,  or  greenstone.  This  greenstone  was  doubtless 
poured  out  on  the  dry  land,  for  it  bears  evidence  of  being  eroded  by  rains 
and  streams  prior  to  the  deposition  of  the  overlying  rocks. 

Let  us  go  down  again,  and  examine  the  junction  between  these  red 
rocks,  with  their  intrusive  dikes  and  overlying  beds  of  greenstone,  and  the 
crystalline  schists  below. 

We  find  these  lower  rocks  to  be  composed  chiefly  of  metamorphosed 
sandstones  and  shales,  which  have  been  folded  so  many  times,  squeezed,  and 
heated,  that  their  original  structure,  as  sandstones  and  shales,  is  greatly 
obscured,  or  entirely  destroyed,  so  that  they  are  called  metamorphic  crys 
talline  schists. 

Dame  Nature  kneaded  this  batch  of  dough  very  thoroughly.  After 
these  beds  were  deposited,  after  they  were  folded,  and  still  after  they  were 
deeply  eroded,  they  were  fractured,  and  through  the  fissures  came  floods  of 
molten  granite,  which  now  stands  in  dikes,  or  lies  in  beds,  and  the  metamor 
phosed  sandstones  and  shales,  and  the  beds  of  granite,  present  evidences  of 
erosion  subsequent  to  the  periods  just  mentioned,  yet  antecedent  to  the 
deposition  of  the  non-conformable  sandstones. 

Here,  then,  we  have  evidences  of  another  and  more  ancient  period  of 
erosion,  or  dry  land.  Three  times  has  this  great  region  been  left  high  and 
dry  by  the  ever  shifting  sea;  three  times  have  the  rocks  been  fractured  and 
faulted;  three  tunes  have  floods  of  lava  been  poured  up  through  the  crevices, 
and  three  times  have  the  clouds  gathered  over  the  rocks,  and  carved  out 
valleys  with  their  storms.  The  first  time  was  after  the  deposition  of  the 
schists;  the  second  was  after  the  deposition  of  the  red  sandstones;  the  third 
time  is  the  present  time.  The  plateaus  and  mountains  of  the  first  and 
second  periods  have  been  destroyed  or  buried;  their  eventful  history  is  lost; 
the  rivers  that  ran  into  the  sea  are  dead,  and  their  waters  are  now  rolling  as 


214  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

tides,  or  coursing  in  other  channels.  Were  there  canons  then?  I  think  not. 
The  conditions  necessary  to  the  formation  of  canons  are  exceptional  in  the 
world's  history. 

We  have  looked  back  unnumbered  centuries  into  the  past,  and  seen  the 
time  when  the  schists  in  the  depths  of  the  Grand  Caiion  were  first  formed  as 
sedimentary  beds  beneath  the  sea;  we  have  seen  this  long  period  followed 
by  another  of  dry  land — so  long  that  even  hundreds,  or  perhaps  thousands, 
of  feet  of  beds  were  washed  away  by  the  rains;  and,  in  turn,  followed  by 
another  period  of  ocean  triumph,  so  long,  that  at  least  ten  thousand  feet  of 
sandstones  were  accumulated  as  sediments,  when  the  sea  yielded  dominion 
to  the  powers  of  the  air,  and  the  region  was  again  dry  land.  But  aerial 
forces  •  carried  away  the  ten  thousand  feet  of  rocks,  by  a  process  slow  yet 
unrelenting,  until  the  sea  again  rolled  over  the  land,  and  more  than  ten 
thousand  feet  of  rocky  beds  were  built  over  the  bottom  of  the  sea;  and  then 
again  the  restless  sea  retired,  and  the  golden,  purple,  and  black  hosts  of 
heaven  made  missiles  of  their  own  misty  bodies — balls  of  hail,  flakes  of 
snow,  and  drops  of  rain — and  when  the  storm  of  war  came,  the  new  rocks 
fled  to  the  sea.  Now  we  have  canon  gorges  and  deeply  eroded  valleys,  and 
still  the  hills  are  disappearing,  the  mountains  themselves  are  wasting  away, 
the  plateaus  are  dissolving,  and  the  geologist,  in  the  light  of  the  past  history 
of  the  earth,  makes  prophecy  of  a  time  when  this  desolate  land  of  Titanic 
rocks  shall  become  a  valley  of  many  valleys,  and  yet  again  the  sea  will 
invade  the  land,  and  the  coral  animals  build  their  reefs  in  the  infinitesimal 
laboratories  of  life,  and  lowly  beings  shall  weave  nacre-lined  shrouds  for 
themselves,  and  ttie  shrouds  shall  remain  entombed  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea, 
when  the  people  shall  be  changed,  by  the  chemistry  of  life,  into  new  forms; 
monsters  of  the  deep  shall  live  and  die,  and  their  bones  be  buried  in  the 
coral  sands.  Then  other  mountains  and  other  hills  shall  be  washed  into  the 
Colorado  Sea,  and  coral  reefs,  and  shales,  and  bones',  and  disintegrated 
mountains,  shall  be  made  into  beds  of  rock,  for  a  new  land,  where  new 
rivers  shall  flow. 

Thus  ever  the  land  and  sea  are  changing;  old  lands  are  buried,  and 
new  lands  are  born,  and  with  advancing  periods  new  complexities  of  rock 
are  found;  new  complexities  of  life  evolved. 


THIRD. 


z:  o  o  L  o&  Y 


BY  ELLIOTT  COUES. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

ABSTRACT    OF    RESULTS   OF    A    STUDY    OF    THE    GENERA 
GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS* 


BY  DK.  ELLIOTT  COUES,  U.  S.  A. 


These  two  genera  are  closely  allied ;  the  principal  difference  being  in 
the  character  of  the  sulcation  of  the  superior  incisors.  In  Geomys,  the  upper 
front  teeth  have  a  deep  groove  along  the  front  face,  at  or  near  the  middle, 
with  or  without  a  fine  groove  along  the  inner  margin.  In  Thomomys,  the 
latter  groove  exists,  but  there  is  no  other.  The  fore  feet  of  Geomys  are  more 
decidedly  fossorial  than  those  of  Thomomys,  owing  to  greater  development 
of  the  claws.  In  Geomys,  the  external  ears  are  a  mere  rim  surrounding  the 
auditory  orifice ;  in  Thomomys,  there  is  a  decided,  though  small,  auricle.  The 
two  genera  constitute  a  perfectly  natural  group,  of  the  grade  of  a  family, 
which  may  be  called'  Geomyida,  equivalent  to  the  subfamily  Geomyiruz  of 
Baird,  or  the  Sciuro-spalacoides  of  Brandt.  Their  closest  affinities  are 'with 
the  SaccomyicUe  (Dipodomys,  Perognathus,  &c.),  under  which  they  have  been 
placed  as  subfamilies  by  Waterhouse  and  Baird.  These  authors  are  certainly 
right  in  differing  from  those  who,  like  Brandt  and  others,  widely  dissociate  the 
two  groups ;  for,  as  Baird  has  insisted,  they  are  very  closely  allied  in  all  essen 
tial  respects,  notwithstanding  their  remarkable  dissimilarity  in  contour  and 
other  superficial  points.  Still,  I  do  not  go  to  the  length  of  the  authors  named 
in  associating  Geomys  and  Thomomys  with  Dipodomys,  Perogtmthus,  &c.,  in 
one ;  preferring  to  follow  Gill  in  considering  them  as  a  distinct,  though  the 

'Based  on  tho  material  contained  in  the  National  Museum,  Smithsonian  Institution,  Washing 
ton,  D.  C. 

28  COL 


218  EXPLORATION  OF  TOE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

most  nearly  allied,  family.  The  Saccoinyidce  are  extremely  lithe,  agile,  graceful 
animals ;  jerboa-like,  with  long  saltatorial  hind  limbs,  elongated  and  often 
tufted  tail,  large  ears,  and  full  eyes,  and  are  not  specially  nocturnal  or  subter 
ranean  in. habits.  The  Geom.yidce,  on  the  other  hand,  are  hamster-like,  or 
rather  an  exaggeration  of  that  kind  of  structure ;  they  are  among  the  heaviest 
for  their  inches  of  any  animals  of  this  country,  of  squat,  bunchy  shape,  with 
short,  thick  limbs,  a  short  tail,  very  small  or  rudimentary  ears,  small  eyes,  no 
appreciable  neck,  and  thick,  blunt  head ;  and  they  are  as  completely  subter 
ranean  as  the  mole  itself.  They  are  rarely  and  only  momentarily  seen  above 
ground ;  they  excavate  endless  galleries  in  the  earth  in  their  search  for  food, 
frequently  coining  to  the  surface  to  throw  out  the  earth  in  heaps,  but  plug 
ging  up  these  orifices  as  soon  as  they  have  served  their  purpose. 

Both  families  agree  in  possessing  enormous  cheek-pouches,  overlying 
the  whole  side  of  the  head,  in  some  species  even  reaching  over  the  neck  and 
shoulders.  The  nature  and  construction  of  these  sacs  was  long  misunder 
stood.  They  were  supposed  for  many  years  to  be  external  pendulous  bags 
opening  into  the  mouth,  and  thus  to  differ  only  in  degree  of  development  from 
the  ordinary  "cheek-pouches"  of  many  other  rodents — an  enlargement  of  the 
mucous  membrane  of  the  mouth  and  skin  of  the  cheeks.  But,  as  now  well 
known,  they  have  no  connection  with  the  mouth ;  at  least,  no  more  than  the 
abdominal  pocket  of  an  opossum  has  with  the  genitalia.  Their  chief  purpose 
is  not  even  related  to  the  food  of  the  species ;  they  are  sacs  that  the  animals 
use  chiefly  in  carrying  out  dirt  from  their  burrows  to  deposit  it  on  the  surface 
of  the  ground.  They  are  fully  described  beyond. 

Several  circumstances  have  conspired  to  obscure  the  history  of  the 
Geomyidce,  and  to  involve  the  determination  of  the  species  in  doubt.  In  the 
first  place,  the  animals  are  l-argely  withdrawn  from  ordinary  observation,  and 
the  acquisition  of  specimens  is  difficult.  Their  geographical  distribution  is 
limited  to  a  portion  of  America.  Very  few  specimens,  comparatively,  have 
ever  reached  Europe,  and  very  few  foreign  naturalists  have  written  about 
them  from  anything  like  sufficient  means  of  observation.  In  fact,  they  are 
among  the  rarest  sets  of  specimens  in  any  museums ;  and  I  think  it  probable 
that  there  are  before  me,  as  I  write,  more  prepared  specimens  than  have 
before  been  examined  by  all  naturalists  put  together.  This  shows  the 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS.  219 

difficulty  of  getting  material  to  work  upon  on  this  family,  though  the  animals 
fairly  swarm  in  certain  regions,  becoming  a  serious  hinderance  to  agriculture. 
There  is  another  point  to  be  considered  here :  the  shapelessness  of  the  species, 
so  to  speak,  with  the  looseness  and  distensibility  of  the  skin,  renders  them 
peculiarly  susceptible  of  atrocious  taxidermy,  with  the  result  of  scarcely 
leaving  a  hint  of  their  actual  appearance  and  true  dimensions.  One  result 
of  all  this  is  that  a  mass  of  pointless,  if  not  erroneous,  descriptions  and  con 
flicting  accounts  forms  a  large  part  of  the  written  history  of  the  species. 
There  appears  to  have  been  an  unusually  large  amount  of  compilation  done 
in  this  group;  more  than  half  of  everything  extant  upon  the  subject  is  of  this 
character.*  The  '  systematic''  accounts  given  by  Fischer,  Schinz,  Wagner, 
Giebel,  and  some  others  that  might  be  named,  are  simply  worthless  for  any 
practical  purpose.  The  special  papers  upon  the  subject  are  so  few  that  it 
was  hot  thought  necessary  to  enumerate  them.  Aside  from  the  descriptions 
of  "new  species"  which  it  is  necessary  to  examine,  the  authorities  which 
need  be  consulted  are  very  few.  Waterhouse's  and  Brandt's  articles ;  espe 
cially  Richardson's,  in  the  Fauna  Boreali- Americana ;  LeConte's  monographic 
sketch  of  the  family ;  and  Baird's  later,  more  elaborate,  memoir,  with  Audu- 
bon's  and  Bachman's  figures,  represent  the  gist  of  the  matter.  The  synonymy 
collated  in  this  paper  is  believed  to  represent  very  nearly  all  the  literature 
of  the  subject. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  the  present  article  to  treat  fully  of  the 
characters  of  the  family.  I  confine  myself  here  almost  entirely  to  the  deter 
mination  of  the  species  and  their  full  description,  with  the  necessary  biblio 
graphical  matter.  The  number  of  species  I  find  to  have  been,  much  as  usual, 
largely  overstated.  This  is  particularly  the  case  in  the  genus  Thomomys, 
where  the  three  recognizable  races  of  the  single  known  species  have  been 
described  as  a  dozen  distinct  species,  and  been  referred  to  half  as  many 
different  genera.  Most  late  authors  recognize  at  least  six  or  eight  species 
of  the  genus.  Gcomys  makes  out  a  better  case ;  out  of  the  seven  species 
admitted  by  Baird,  five  are  unquestionably  valid.  It  is  very  curious  and 
interesting  to  note  how  differently  Geomys  and  Thomomys  have  become  differ 
entiated  into  species.  The  former  genus  has  developed  into  at  least  five 

*  Cf.  the  synonymy  of  Thomomys  talpoides  et  off.  in  tbe  following  pages. 


220  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

perfectly  well-discriminated  species,  the  early  links  between  which  have 
entirely  disappeared,  leaving  the  forms  as  stable  as  possible.  Thomomys  is 
still  in  a  transition-stage  at  present.  Setting  aside  the  peculiar  T.  clusius, 
described  .as  new  beyond,  all  the  known  forms  of  that  genus  arc  still  only 
incompletely  separated,  and  the  links  binding  them  are  plainly  before  our 
eyes.  The  genus  appears  to  be  making  into  a  number  of  species,  but  the 
process  is  still  far  from  completion.  In  talking  over  this  singular  difference 
in  the  natural  history  of  these  two  closely-allied  genera  with  Professor  Baird, 
he  threw  out  a  suggestion,  which,  perhaps,  may  account  for  the  facts.  While 
we  have  no  means  of  knowing  which  is  the  older  of  the  two  genera,  so  as  to 
compare  the  rates  of  progress  they  respectively  made  in  developing  their 
species,  yet  we  may  fairly  infer,  upon  geographical  considerations,  that  Geo- 
mys  has  been  longer  about  it  than  Thomomys.  Geottiys,  though  found  to  a 
certain  longitude  westward,  is  essentially  a  form  of  Eastern  North  America, 
extended  thence  to  Central  America,  and  it  is  presumably  upon  older  ground 
than  the  late  deposits  in  the  West,  where  Thomomys  occurs.  In  the  cases 
of  many  mammals  and  birds  of  this  continent,  it  will  be  recollected  there  is 
a  perfectly  stable  eastern  species  of  a  genus  which  in  the  West  is  represented 
by  a  number  of  "varieties.''  Junco,  Melospiza,  Passerella,  Picus,  are  good 
illustrations.  But  be  the  explanation  what  it  may,  there  is  no  doubt  about 
the  fact  that  Geomys  has  made  itself  into  five  or  six  firm  species  before 
Thomomys  has  succeeded  in  turning  out  more  than  one  or  two. 

With  these  few  observations  by  way  of  introducing  the  species,  I  shall 
proceed  at  once  to  give  an  account  of  them,  reserving  many  details  which 
contributed  to  the  result  of  my  investigation,  as  well  as  all  general  considera 
tions  respecting  the  family,  for  publication  in  a  different  connection. 

GENUS  GEOMYS.    (emend,  ex  Raf.) 

Mua,  sp.  SHAW,  et  al.,  I.  c.  infra. 

Crlcetus,  sp.  DESM.,  et  a?.,  7.  c.  infra. 

Geomys,  RAF.,  Am.  Month.  Mag.  ii,  1817,  45. 

Diplostoma,  RAF.,  op.  et  loc.  cit.  (char,  plerumq :  inept.),  ncc  RICH. 

Saccophorus,  KUIIL,  Beitr.  1820,  65. 

Pscudostoma,  SAY,  Loug'a  Exp.  R.  Mts.  i,  1823, 406. 

Ascomys,  LIGHT.,  Abhand.  Berl.  Acad.  1822-'3,  1825,  20. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  BUKSAEIUS.  221 


GEOMYS  BURSARIUS,  (Shaw)  Rich. 

Mua  bursarius,  SHAW,  Liuu.  Traus.  v,  1800,  227,  fig.  8;  Gen.  Zool.  ii,  1801,  100,  pi.  138  (the  plate  clearly 
shows  the  grooved  incisors ;  the  pouches  are  everted). — MITC.,  Am.  Journ.  Sci.  iv,  1822,  183. 

Cricetits  bursarius,  DKSM.,  Nouv.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  xiv, ,  177 ;  Ency.  M6th.  Suppl.  pi.  10,  f.  4  ;  Mumm.  ii, 

1822,  p.  312  (bursareus). — F.  Cuv.,  Diet.  Sc.  Nat.  xx, ,  257.— DESMOUL.,  Diet.  Class,  viii, 

— ,  37.— GRIFF.,  Anim.  Kiugd.lti,  1827, 138,  pi.  — ;  v,  1827,  235,  No.  612. 

Saccophorus  bursarius,  KUIIL,  Beitriige,  1820,  65.— Fiscu.,  Syuop.  1827,  304. 

Pseudostoma  bursarius,  SAY,  Long's  Exp.  R.  Mts.  i,  1823,  406  (Ziwraaria).— HARLAX,  Fu.  Amer.  1825,  153. — 
LESS.,  Man.  1827,  259.— GODMAX,  Ani.  Nat.  Hist,  ii,  1831,  90  (bursarium).— DEKAY,  N.  Y.  Fn. 
i,  1842,  92.— Aun.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  i,  1849,  332,  pi.  44. 

Gcomys!  bursarius,  RICH.,  F.  B.  A.  i,  1829,  203 ;  Rep.  Brit.  Assoc.  for  1836,  v,  1837,  156  (nee  Gray). 

Ascomys  bursarius,  EYD.  &  GERV.,  Voy.  Favorite,  v,  1839,  23. — SCHINZ,  Syn.  ii,  1845,  132.— GIEB.,  Odon- 
tpg.  53,  pi.  23,  f.  8. 

Geomys  bursarius,  Woomi.,  Zu!ii  and  Col.  R.  1853,  50.— PARVIX,  Anu.  Rep.  Smiths.  Inst.  for  1854,  1855, 
293  (habits).— KEXX.,  Trans.  Illinois  Agric.  Soc.  for  1853-'4,  1855,  580.— BD.,  M.  N.  A.  1857, 

372,  pi.  22,  fig.  1  a-h,  and  pi.  50,  fig.  2  a-g.—  MAXIM./ Arch.  Naturg.  1861, ;  Verz.  Reise 

N.-Am.  Sang.  1862,  147.— GERR.,  Cat.  Bones  Br.  Mus.  1862,  223.— LEIDY,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci. 
Phila.  1867,  97  (sknll  from  loess  of  Missouri). — AMES,  Bull.  Acad.  Minnesota,  i,  1874,  70. 

Geomys  (Saccophorus)  bursarius,  GIEBEL,  Siing.  1855,  529. 

"  1  Mus  ludovicianus,  ORI>,  Gnthrie's  Geog.  2d  Am.  ed.  ii,  1815,  292.    (Not  determinable.)" 

?  Diplostoma  fusca,  RAF.,  Am.  Month.  Mag.  ii,  1817, 44.— DESM.,  Mamm.  ii,  1822, 315. — LESS.,  Man.  1827, 261. 

?  Diplostoma  alba,  RAF.,  Am.  Month.  Mag.  ii,  1817,  44  ( albino). — DESM.,  Mamm.  ii,  1822,  315. — LESS.,  Man. 
1827,  261. 

Saccophorus!  albus,  Fiscn.,  Synop.  1827,  305. 

?  Geomys  cinereus,  RAF.,  Am.  Month.  Mag.  ii,  1817,  45. 

Mus  saccatus,  MITCH.,  N.  Y.  Med.  Rcpos.  xxi,  1821,  249. 

Ascomys  can&densis,  LIGHT.,  Abh.  Acad.  Wiss.  Berl.  1823,  13,  fig. — BKANTS,  Muizen,  1827,  24. — WAGX., 
Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  383;  Abh.  K.  Baier.  Akad.  Munch,  xxii,  1846,  327,  fig.  (skeleton). 

Geomys  canadensis,  LEC.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  vi,  1852,  158. 

Geomys  oregonensis,  LEC.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  vi,  1852, 160  (no  probability  that  the  assigned  local 
ity  is  correct). 

Geomys  breviccps,  BD.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1855,  334 ;  M.  N.  A.  1857,  378,  pi.  52,  f .  2  a-g.— GERR. 
Cat.  Bones  Br.  Mus.  1862,  223. 

Canada  Eat,  SHAW,  IL  cc. 

Canada  Pouched  Eat,  RICHARDSOX,  I.  c.— AUD.  &  BACH.,  I.  c. 

Hamster  du  Canada,  DESM.,  I.  c. 

Pseudostome  a  bourse,  LESS.,  I.  c. 

Diplostome  brun,  D.  blanche,  DESM.,  LESS.,  II.  cc. 

Canadian  Hamster,  GRIFFITH,  I.  c. 

Gofftr,  Taschenmaus,  SCHIXZ,  I.  c. 

Pouched  Eat,  Sand  Eat,  Camas  Eat,  Pocket  Goplier,  Salamander,  Valg. 

Gaufre,  French  (whence  English  "gopher,"  and  German  "goffer"). 

Quid  Geomys  drummondii,  RICH.,  Rep.  Brit.  Assoc.  v,  1837,  157  (Ascomys  drummondii  apud  Wagn.,  Suppl. 
Schreb.),  species  indet.  dentibus  prim,  bisulcatis  ? 

DIAGNOSIS. — Superior  incisors  bisulcate,  with  a  fine  sharp  groove  along 
the  inner  margin,  and  another  much  larger  bisecting  the  remaining  plane  sur 
face.  Cheek-pouches  ample,  extending  to  the  shoulders.  Hands  (including 
claws)  longer  than  feet.  Tail  and  feet  hairy.  Pelage  soft,  sleek,  mole-like. 
Color  dull  reddish-brown,  muddy-gray  or  hoary  beneath,  the  basal  portion 


222  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

of  the  fur  plumbeous  throughout ;  or  blackish-gray ;  feet  and  tail,  for  the 
most  part,  white  or  colorless.  Average  dimensions  of  adult,  7  to  8  inches ; 
tail,  2  or  3  inches ;  fore  foot,  about  1|  inches ;  hind  foot,  about  \\  inches ; 
longest  fore  claw,  about  0.75  inch. 

HABITAT. — Valley  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  in  a  broad  sense, 
and  somewhat  beyond  to  the  northward.  "Canada."  " Oregon "  (111). 

DESCRIPTION. — I  shall  draw  up  my  account  of  this  species  from  the  large 
amount  of  material,  both  dry  and  alcoholic,  before  me.  The  specimens  are 
from  the  whole  immediate  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  from  the  State  of  that 
name  to  Minnesota ;  also,  from  Texas ;  from  the  Platte,  Washita,  and  Nio- 
brara  Rivers,  &c.;  but  not  from  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where  the 
genus  has  yet  to  be  satisfactorily  determined  to  occur.  Descriptions  of  form 
and  proportions  are  taken  from  alcoholic  specimens  in  the  flesh ;  of  color, 
from  dried  specimens.  The  present  being  taken  as  the  standard  of  compari 
son  for  other  species,  succeeding  descriptions  of  the  rest  may  consequently 
be  abridged  to  present  in  stronger  light  their  own  peculiar  characters.  The 
present  account,  besides  being  descriptive  of  the  particular  species,  is  ren 
dered  supplementary  to  the  characters  of  the  genus.  • 

The  "pocket-gopher"  is  about  the  size  of  a  house-rat  (Mus  decumanus\ 
but  less  in  linear  dimensions  and  much  more  stoutly  built,  with  a  heavy, 
lumpy  body,  on  which  the  skin  slips  loosely ;  no  appreciable  neck ;  a  rapidly 
narrowed  blunt  head ;  small  eyes ;  no  obvious  external  ears ;  short  limbs ; 
strong  fore  feet,  somewhat  like  those  of  a  mole,  with  enormous  claws ;  and  a 
short,  thick,  stumpy  tail,  issuing  from  a  conical  prolongation  of  the  rump. 
The  side  of  the  body,  before  the  shoulder,  is  occupied  by  an  enormous  sac, 
opening  by  a  wide  slit  along  the  side  of  the  jaws,  but  not  directly  communi 
cating  with  the  mouth.  These  sacs,  fully  distended,  represent  the  greatest 
crosswise  dimension  of  the  animal.  To  sum  the  generalities,  the  gopher  is  a 
mole-like  rat,  plus  these  great  bags.  The  general  habits  bear  out  the  simile : 
of  all  rodents,  the  gopher  is  probably  the  most  completely  fossorial  and  sub 
terranean;  and  its  underground  operations  are  conducted  with  the  aid  of 
theSe  sacs. 

The  head  is  short,  wide,  deep,  and  blunt ;  not  separated  from  the  body 
by  any  appreciable  constriction  of  the  neck.  The  frontal  region  is  broad  and 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  BURSAEIUS.  223 

flat ;  the  sides  rapidly  converge ;  the  under  side  and  mouth  parts  are  anom 
alous  in  their  peculiar  configuration.  The  muffle  is  entirely  hairy,  excepting 
a  small,  definitely  naked  nose-pad,  somewhat  T-shaped,  with  long  arms  and  a 
short  leg ;  the  nostrils  opening  obliquely  between  these.  There  is  a  consid 
erable  hairy  interval  between  this  pad  and  the  incisors,  and  a  fringe  of  long 
hairs  hangs  down  over  these  teeth.  The  upper  incisors  appear  to  be  situ 
ated  remote  from  the  mouth ;  for  beneath  them  is  a  long  strip  of  finely  furry 
skin,  longitudinally  vaulted,  with  sides  sloping  upward  to  a  median  line,  like 
the  roof  of  a  house  with  its  ridge.  This  great  space,  near  an  inch  long, 
bounded  on  either  side  by  the  swollen  furry  ridges  which  constitute  the 
external  lips,  leads  to  the  contracted  orifice  of  the  mouth  proper,  or  that  part 
of  the  buccal  cavity  lined  by  mucous  membrane,  to  which  the  parts  just 
described  are  merely  the  vestibule.  The  mucous  membrane  only  comes  to 
the  border  of  the  thick  external  lips  in  a  small  patch  on  each  side.  The  lip 
laps  loosely  around  the  base  of  the  under  incisors,  and  the  opposite  sides  meet 
behind  the  teeth.  In  fact,  the  curious  conformation  is  such  that  the  mouth 
actually  shuts  sideways  by  approach  and  meeting  of  the  thick  lips  from  either 
side ;  further  closure  of  the  jaws  resulting  in  merely  a  folding  back  of  the  thus 
apposed  lips.  When  the  mouth  is  closed,  the  incisor  teeth  are  entirely  shut 
out  of  the  buccal  cavity,  and  surrounded  behind,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  by 
furry  integument ;  in  a  large  specimen,  with  the  tips  of  the  incisors  in  appo 
sition,  the  end  of  one's  finger  may  be  passed  behind  them,  yet  not  into  the 
mouth  at  all.  On  wrenching  open  the  jaws,  the  fleshy  tongue  is  seen  largely 
filling  the  remarkably  contracted  true  orifice  of  the  mouth ;  but  so  constricted 
is  the  opening  that  the  molar  dentition  can  scarcely  be  brought  into  this 
view.  This  particular  condition  of  the  parts  is  probably  not  met  with  outside 
the  present  family. 

The  pouches  of  this  species — at  first  supposed  to  be  pendulous  bags 
hanging  from  the  mouth,  then  with  some  correction  found  to  be  not  pendu 
lous,  yet  believed  to  open  into  the  mouth -from  within — are  wholly  external, 
and  have^p  more  connection  with  the  buccal  cavity  than  the  belly-pouch  of 
a  kangaroo  or  opossum  has  to  do  with  the  genital  organs.  These  sacs  are 
simply  a  purse-shaped  duplicature  of  the  loose  skin  of  the  side  of  the  head 
and  neck.  The  free  margin  of  the  pouch  arises  from  the  side  of  the  upper 


224  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

jaw,  about  half-way  from  nose  to  eye,  just  underneath  the  whisker-patch,  and 
curves  loosely  around  the  side  of  the  head  to  the  angle  of  the  jaw.  The 
general  outline  of  the  orifice  is  semicircular  (or  rather  semipyriform,  since  the 
broadest  part  sags  down  a  little)  ;  the  inner  border  being  the  proper  integu 
ment  of  the  side  of  the  head.  The  lining  of  the  sac  is  ordinary  integument, 
of  rather  more  delicate  texture ;  it  is  clothed  with  fine  fur.  On  the  side  next 
the  head,  the  ordinary  fur  of  the  parts  makes  directly  into  the  pouch ;  on  the 
outside,  the  fine  fur  continues  to  the  brim,  where  it  is  met  by  the  ordinary 
external  pelage.  Between  the  two  layers  of  skin  rests  a  thin  bed  of  muscu 
lar  fibers  (perhaps  a  modified  platysma  myoides),  serving  for  such  contractile 
movements  as  the  receptacle  may  be  susceptible  of.  But  the  connection 
between  the  folds  of  skin  is  so  slight  and  loose  that  the  pouch  may,  with  little 
force,  be  turned  completely  inside  out,  though  it  does  not  appear  that  this 
ever  occurs  in  life.  A  full-sized  pouch  will  admit  three  fingers  as  far  as  the 
first  joint. 

The  small  eyes  are  situated  midway  between  the  nose  and  ears,  below  the 
line  between  these  two ;  and,  if  anything,  they  are  rather  nearer  the  latter  than 
the  former.  The  ears  have  been  described  in  varying  terms,  leaving  a  doubt 
whether  there  was  an  auricle  or  not ;  but  it  is  proper  to  say  that  the  auricle 
is  obsolete.  The  large  circular  orifice  of  the  meatus  externus  is  surrounded 
by  a  raised  brim,  rather  thicker,  if  not  higher,  behind  than  before,  and,  as 
such,  constituting  a  rudimentary  pinna;  but  there  is  nothing  to  be  called  a 
flap  (which  is  something  that  may  be  turned  over). 

The  large,  strong,  and  eminently  fossorial  fore  feet  recall  those  of  the 
mole  in  some  respects,  though  they  occupy  the  usual  position  with  reference 
to  the  axis  of  the  limb — sole  downward  instead  of  tilted  over.  The  hand 
itself  is  shorter  than  the  hind  foot ;  but  the  immense  claws  reverse  the  pro 
portion  of  the  two  as  a  whole.  The  palm  is  broader  than  the  sole,  and 
perfectly  naked.  At  the  juncture  with  the  wrist,  it  presents  two  great  movable 
callous  tubercles,  which  probably  have  a  bearing  upon  the  great  force  of  flex 
ion  of  the  member ;  otherwise  the  palm  is  flat,  devoid  of  special  pads  or  cal 
losities,  and  may  be  thrown  into  indeterminate  rugse  or  sulci,  according  to  the 
movements  of  the  parts.  There  are  five  digits,  whose  relative  lengths  are 
nearly  the  same  as  those  of  the  claws  they  respectively  bear.  All  the  claws, 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  BDKSAKIUS.  225 

excepting  the  first  one,  are  longer  than  their  respective  digits ;  they  are  much 
compressed,  single-edged  underneath,  curved,  and  acute.  Their  tips  are  reg 
ularly  graduated,  in  position  with  decreasing  disparity  from  3d  to  1st ;  3d-4th— 
2d-5th-lst;  the  3d  being  much  the  largest,  the  1st  a  mere  stump.  The 
back  of  the  hand  is  clothed  with  rather  bristly  hairs,  which  fall  as  a  fringe 
over  the  sides  of  the  hand,  and  of  Ihe  individual  digits  as  well. 

As  usual  in  cases  of  excessive  growths  of  any  kind,  these  great  claws 
oi  the  hand  vary  a  good  deal  in  size  and  shape,  according  to  the  age  and  vigor 
of  the  animal — in  other  words,  according  to  the  degree  of  use  to  which  they 
are  put.  The  hind  foot  is  not  remarkable,  having  an  ordinary  murine  charac 
ter.  The  sole  is  perfectly  naked,  like  the  palm,  and  devoid  of  special  pads  or 
tubercles ;  the  skin  being  everywhere  smooth.  The  toes  are  short ;  the  claws 
still  shorter,  weak,  excavated  underneath  (like  a  badger's),  little  curved,  and 
rather  acute.  The  3d  is  longest;  then  come  2d-4th-lst-5th ;  the  digit 
of  the  latter  being  a  mere  stump,  and  that  of  the  1st  too  short  to  carry  the 
tip  of  its  claw  opposite  the  base  of  the  4th. 

The  tail  has  an  unfinished,  or  rather  neglected,  appearance,  as  if  it  were 
of  no  particular  use.  It  is  remarkable,  however,  for  appearing  to  spring  from 
a  peculiar  conical  backward  prolongation  of  rump,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to 
determine  its  true  base.  This  enlarged  basal  portion  is  clothed  like  the  rest 
of  the  body.  From  its  apex,  the  tail  continues  with  a  shorter  and  more  scanty 
furring.  The  tail  is  rather  thick  (in  comparison  with  allied  rodents)  and 
somewhat  quadrangular,  the  flattening  of  the  under  side  being  especially 
noticeable ;  it  tapers  gradually  to  an  obtuse  tip.  It  is  perhaps  rather  unu 
sually  variable  in  length,  averaging  in  its  scant-haired  portion  about  one-third 
of  the  length  of  head  and  body. 

The  conical  prolongation  of  the  body  above  mentioned  is  that  portion 
which  protrudes  beyond  the  ischia,  which  may  be  plainly  felt  on  either  side ; 
and  on  its  under  side  appear  the  orifices  of  the  digestive  and  genito-urinary 
systems,  in  close  juxtaposition,  and  both  directly  at  the  base  of  the  tail 
proper.  In  the  rutting-season,  however,  the  topography  of  the  parts  is 
changed,  owing  to  the  great  distention  of  the  perineum  from  the  turgid 
organs  within.  In  the  female,  there  are  three  pairs  of  teats — two  inguinal, 
near  together  along  the  inside  of  the  thighs ;  and  another  pair,  pectoral,  at  a 
29  COL 


226     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

considerable  distance.  I  have  not  been  able  to  discover  any  more ;  and  as 
the  same  number  and  position  have  been  found  to  hold  in  G.  tuza,  mexi- 
canus,  and  hispidus,  such  is  probably  the  normal  case  in  this  genus ;  though 
in  species  of  Thomomys  I  have  distinctly  recognized  six  pairs. 

The  character  of  the  incisor  dentition  remains  for  special  notice,  as  a 
diagnostic  feature  of  the  species  among  all  its  congeners.  Two  grooves  upon 
each  upper  incisor  always  persist  distinctly.  One  of  these  is  a  sharp,  fine  line 
of  impression,  running  along  the  inner  margin  of  the  tooth,  about  the  distance 
of  its  own  width  ^from  the  edge.  The  other  is  a  much  larger,  more  profound, 
and  wider  sulcus,  which  fairly  bisects  the  remaining  surface,  leaving  an  equal 
plane  area  on  either  side,  exclusive  of  the  small  portion  cut  off  by  the  fine 
marginal  groove.  This  main  groove  varies  a  good  deal  in  depth  and  width  in 
different  specimens,  and,  moreover,  is  itself  sometimes  sulcate ;  that  is  to 
say,  this  excavation  sometimes  presents,  on  the  outer  side,  a  fine  ridge,  which 
marks  off  a  secondary  groove  within  the  first.  The  same  thing  occurs  in  the 
single-grooved  species — castanops,  mexicanus,  and  hispidus.  But  this  supple 
mentary  carination  of  the  main  groove  is  not  always  perceptible,  and  is  gen 
erally  liable  to  be  overlooked,  it  is  so  fine.  When  most  strongly  marked,  it 
is  just  like  the  inner  marginal  groove  itself;  and  each  tooth  seems  to  consist 
of  two  similar  halves. 

Coloration. — Throughout  this  family,  the  coloration  is  general  and  diffused; 
there  are  no  strong  special  areas  of  parti-coloration.  Most  of  the  species  (if 
not  all)  of  both  Geomys  and  Thomomys  occur  under  two  states  of  pelage,  which 
we  may  call  the  chestnut  and  the  plumbago.  The  difference  is  much  like 
that  between  the  gray  or  cinereous  states  of  young  Hesperomys,  Neotoma,  &c., 
and  the  brighter-colored  adults  of  the  same.  But,  in  the  present  case,  it  does 
not  appear  to  be  a  matter  of  age,  since  full-sized,  if  not  mature,  specimens 
are  plumbago-colored.  If  the  dark  style  of  pelage  be  not  wholly  fortuitous — 
i.  e.,  pure  melanism — it  is,  at  any  rate,  as  yet  unexplained.  To  these  gener 
alities  of  coloration,  it  is  to  be  added,  that  there  is  a  tendency  to  indefinite 
albinism  of  the  tail,  feet,  and  parts  about  the  mouth.  Whatever  the  phase 
of  coloration  may  be,  the  character  of  the  pelage  is  constant.  As  in  all  the 
other  species,  excepting  G.  hispidus,  the  fur  is  remarkably  soft,  fine,  and  lus 
trous,  reminding  one  of  that  of  the  mole ;  yet  not  of  the  short,  close,  velvety- 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  BUBSARIUS.  227 

pilous  character  seen  in  that  animal,  but  long  and  fluffy.  The  coat  appears 
to  be  shed  from  before  backward  by  a  steadily  progressing  process,  as  wit 
nessed  by  the  definite  lines  of  demarcation  frequently  observed. 

The  plumbeous  basal  portions  of  the  hairs,  uniform  to  the  very  roots  all 
over  the  body,  are  of  such  extent,  and  the  colored  terminal  parts  so  short  to 
correspond,  that  more  or  less  of  tmVcolor  appears  on  all  but  the  most  daintily 
prepared  specimens,  and  plumbeous  is  the  prevailing  tone  of  the  under  parts. 
The  normal  coloration  is  a  dull  reddish-brown,  or  impure  chestnut,  of  varying 
intensity,  frequently  with  a  still  duller  muddy-brown  superficial  cast  difficult 
to  describe.  This  is  the  character  of  the  upper  parts,  where  a  dusky  dorsal 
area  may  or  may  not  be  appreciable.  It  gives  way.  on  the  sides  to  the  plum 
beous  of  the  under  parts,  which  is  overlaid  with  a  hoary-brown  or  muddy- 
gray.  The  lips,  chin,  feet,  and  even  legs,  and  the  tail,  are  usually  more  or 
less  white,  the  extent  and  purity  of  this  white  being  wholly  indeterminate ; 
it  is  sometimes  wanting;  sometimes  the  tail  is  variegated  with  white  and 
brown.  There  are  also  liable  to  be  irregular  white  patches  on  the  belly. 
The  soles  and  palms,  when  not  soiled  by  adventitious  substances,  are  nearly 
colorless.  The  incisors,  as  usual,  are  orange-faced  in  the  adult  state.  The 
claws  are  of  an  indefinite  pale-brown  color,  often  variegated  with  extravasated 
blood. 

The  plumbago  state,  in  which  some  specimens  as  large  as  any  others  are 
found,  is  entirely  different,  and  does  not  appear  to  shade  into  the  normal 
phase.  Here  the  color  is  exactly  that  of  a  lead-pencil  mark  on  white  paper ; 
but  such  is  the  gloss  of  the  fur  that  violet,  purplish,  or  even  brassy  reflections 
are  shown  with  different  lights.  It  is  an  intensification  of  the  ordinary  plum 
beous  basal  portion  of  the  hairs,  and  its  extent  over  the  whole  fur.  In  this 
condition,  white  paws  and  tail,  and  other  irregular  patches  of  albinism,  also 
occur.  The  plumbeous  is  seen  in  its  purity  only  above ;  below,  the  fur  is 
pointed  with  muddy-brown  or  gray. 

HISTORY. — Although  its  written  history  does  not  date  so  far  back  as  the 
early  notices  of  the  uTucan"  (G.  mexicanus],  this  species  was  the  first  to  be 
introduced  to  notice  under  a  scientific  name,  and  with  a  (supposed)  scientific 
description.  Dr.  George  Shaw  was  the  physician  who  attended  at  the  birth 
of  the  species,  which  he  called  Mus  bursar ius,  giving  a  recognizable  descrip- 


228  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

tion  indeed,  but  accompanying  it  with  a  grotesque  figure  from  a  drawing  by 
Major  Davies,  representing  an  amorphous  creature  with  a  pair  of  great  skinny, 
veiny  bags  hanging  loosely  from  the  mouth;  the  pouches  of  his  specimen  hav 
ing  everted,  and  this  being  their  supposed  natural  state.  The  original  figure 
in  the  Linnsean  Transactions  is  somewhat  improved  upon  in  the  General  Zool 
ogy,  but  is  still  a  very  ludicrous  object.  The  animal  is  said  to  have  come  from 
"Canada,"  where  it  was  taken  by  some  Indians  in  1798,  and  afterward  pre 
sented  to  Governor  Prescott's  wife.  According  to  the  description,  the  animal 
was  in  the  plumbago  state  of  pelage.  There  is  no  doubt  whatever  about  the 
species  (though  some  writers  have  refused  to  recognize  it)  ;  even  the  wretched- 
figure  in  the  General  Zoology  shows  the  grooved  incisors  clearly.  Moreover, 
this  identical  specimen,  which  once  formed  part  of  the  Bullock  collection  in 
London,  and  subsequently  passed  into  the  hands  of  Temminck,  seems  to  have 
been  examined  both  by  Kuhl  and  Lichtenstein  ;  and,  at  about  the  same  time, 
each  of  these  naturalists  made  a  new  genus  for  its  special  benefit,  Kuhl  call 
ing  it  Saccophorus  bursarius,  after  Shaw,  and  Lichtenstein  renaming  it  Ascomys 
canadensis.  This  title  prevailed  with  most  German  authors.  Contemporary 
French  authorities  considered  it  a  Hamster,  and  referred  it  to  Cricetus.  Say 
established,  in  1823,  the  genus  Pscudostoma,  generally  accepted  by  American 
writers. 

The  original  mistake  (arising  from  faulty  taxidermy,  that  prolific  source 
of  error  with  the  dermatomaniacs)  of  supposing  the  pouches  were  pendulous 
sacs  opening  into  the  mouth  was  scotched  several  times  before  it  was  finally 
killed.  Meanwhile,  before  Kuhl,  Lichtenstein,  and  Say  had  severally  made 
their  new  genera,  species  of  the  genus  had  already  entered  the  peculiar  field 
of  vision,  or  supposed  vision,  of  M.  Rafinesque,  who  furnished  two  new 
names.  The  Diplostoma  of  this  writer  is  diagnosticated  by  an  expression 
few  terms  of  which  are  founded  in  fact ;  for  he  denies  the  animal  tail,  ears,  and 
open  eyes,  and  only  credits  it  with  four  toes  to  each  foot,  whereas  it  has  a 
tail,  ears,  open  eyes,  and  five  digits  before  and  behind.  In  the  same  place, 
Rafinesque  establishes  another  genus,  Geomys,  which  is  based  upon  fair  char 
acters,  though  there  is  nothing  in  them  to  prove  whether  he  had  a  Thomomys 
or  a  true  Geomys  in  view.  The  primary  reference  is,  however,  to  Mitchell's 
"Hamster  of  Georgia''  (G.  pinetis),  which  fixes  the  matter.  Rafinesque 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  BURSARIUS.  229 

gives  a  number  of  species  of  each  of  his  two  genera.  Twelve  years  subse 
quently,  in  1829,  Dr.  Richardson  discussed  Rafinesque's  names,  coming  to 
the  erroneous  conclusion  that  they  both  represented  good  genera,  in  one  of 
which  the  cheek-pouches  opened  into  the  mouth,  these  being  wholly  external 
in  the  other.  He  describes  several  new  species  of  Thomomys  under  the 
name  of  Geomys,  supposing  them  te  all  have  pendulous  pouches ;  gives  the 
present  as  Geomys^  bursarius;  and  refers  one  Thomomys  to  Diplostoma,  hav 
ing  satisfied  himself  of  the  true  state  of  the  case  in  this  instance. 

The  Mus  ludovicianus  of  Ord  (1815)  is  a  name  which  may  be  supposed 
to  refer  to  this  species,  but  it  is  probably  not  determinable,  and  in  any  event 
is  antedated.  Dr.  Mitchill  named  the  species  Mus  saccatus  in  1821.  The 
only  late  synonyms  I  have  met  with  are  oregonensis  of  LeConte  and  breviceps 
of  Baird.  LeConte,  indeed,  in  his  excellent  sketch  of  the  family,  which  placed 
the  group  upon  a  far  more  satisfactory  footing  than  that  it  had  previously  occu 
pied,  calls  it  Geomys  canadensis;  but  this  is  merely  the  restoration  of  Rafi 
nesque's  generic  name,  coupled  with  Lichten stein's  specific  one,  upon  the  pre 
sumption  that  the  faulty  Mus  bursarius  of  Shaw  ought  not  to  be  recognized. 
Dr.  LeConte's  oregonensis  is  founded  upon  an  animal  said  to  be  from  Oregon ; 
but  this  locality  is  doubtless  erroneous,  for,  as  now  well  known,  Townsend 
collected  all  the  way  from  the  Missouri  westward,  though  his  specimens  fell 
in  the  way  of  being  marked  "Columbia  River,"  or  "Oregon,"  with  little  regard 
for  actual  localities  where  procured.  The  name  oregonensis,  besides  being 
geographically  erroneous  in  all  probability  (no  Geomys  is  known  to  occur  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains),  rests  upon  characters' not  in  the  least  incompatible 
with  the  now  known  G.  bursarius.  The  types  of  G.  breviceps  now  before 
me  are  all  smaller  than  average  bursarius,  but  within  the  range  of  variation 
of  that  species ;  and  I  fail  to  substantiate  any  tangible  characters  by  which 
this  supposed  species  may  be  held  to  be  distinct. 

The  English  name  of  "  gopher,''  applied  to  this  and  other  species  of  the 
family,  is  evidently  a  corruption  of  the  French  term  "gaufre,5'  given  by  Cana 
dian  voyageurs.  It  re-appears  in  German  as  Goffer.  In  the  West,  where 
the  SpermophUi  are  universally  called  gophers  by  hunters  and  settlers,  the 
species  of  this  family  are  distinguished  as  "  pocket-gophers."  The  application 


230 


EXPLOKATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


of  the  word  "salamander''  is  not  so  obvious.     The  German  equivalent  of 
li  pouched  rat"  is  Taschenmaus. 


Measurements. 


h 

O 

From  tip  of  nose  to  — 

tt 

I 

Length  of— 

(i 

q 

ft 

"8 

«  8 

o 

Nature  of 

a 
1 

Locality. 

Sex. 

B 

o  -2 

o 
£ 

O 

& 

4> 

to 

0 

specimen. 

E 

3 

<s 

CS 

I 

'3 

•  rH 

C3 

2 

o 

| 

to 

B 
O 

O 

H 

w 

O 

H 

H 

W 

Niobrara  River      .  ..... 

g 

0.85 

1.40 

1.90 

6.75 

2.50 

1.50 

1.25 

0.70 

Alcoholic. 

7327 

Kansas  .......  ....  

$ 

0.95 

1.65 

2.00 

6.50 

3.00 

1.50 

1.35 

0.70 

Alcoholic. 

1384 

Iowa    .     ...     .  ........ 

1.12 

1.70 

2.15 

1.55 

1.30 

0.68 

Alcoholic. 

357 

Saint  Louis  Mo 

* 

8.00 

3.00 

1.60 

1.35 

0.55 

Fresh. 

2635 

Saint  Louis,  Mo  

1.05 

1.75 

2.20 

7.00 

2.  75 

1.50 

1.35 

0.65 

Alcoholic. 

2636 

Saint  Louis,  Mo  -  

1.20 

1.85 

2.60 

7.50 

3.35 

1.55 

1.35 

0.70 

Alcoholic. 

2633 

Illinois.     

1.00 

1.45 

1.90 

5.75 

2.65 

1.50 

1.15 

0.65 

Alcoholic. 

2539 

Iowa              .  ....     ..  . 

1.25 

2.10 

2.33 

8.90 

3.30 

1.45 

0.80 

Fresh. 

1775 

Vermilion  River  .... 

0.75 

1.  75 

2.25 

8.00 

1.75 

1.25 

0.75 

Fresh. 

2630* 

Louisiana  



0.90 

1.45 

1.75 

1.20 

1.  05 

0.55 

Alcoholic. 

*A  type  of  breviceps. 

G-EOMYS  TUZA,  (Ord.)  Coues. 

Hamster  of  Georgia,  MITCHILL,  N.  Y.  Med.  Repos.  v,  1802,  89 ;  Bewick's  Quad.  1st  Am.  ed.  1804,  525  (men 
tioned  also  by  Anderson,  Meare,  Say,  Barton,  &c.) 

Mus  tnza,  ORD,  Gnthrie's  Geog.  2d  Am.  ed.  ii,  1815,  292.    (Based  on  MitchilFs  animal.) 

Gcomys  pinelis,  RAF.,  Am.  Month.  Mag.  ii,  1817,  45  (Georgia).— BRANTS,  Muizcn,  1827, 173. — DKSM.,  Mamm. 
ii,  1822,  314  (note).— LESS.,  Man.  1827,  260.— BAIRD,  M.  N.  A.  1857,  380,  pi.  22,  fig.  3  a-c.— 
GESNER,  Ann.  Rep.  Smiths.  Inst.  for  1860,  1861,  431  (habits). 

Saccophorusl  pineti,  FISCHER,  Syu.  1829,  305. 

Geomyspineti,  LEC.,  Froc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  vi,  1852,  159. — ALLKN,  Bull.  Mus.  Comp.  Zool.  ii,  1871, 178. 

fseudostoma  floridana,  AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1853,  242,  pi.  150,  f.  1. 

Southern  Pouched  Bat,  AUD.  &  BACH. 

Geomys  des  pins,  DESM.,  LESS.,  II.  cc. 

Gopher ;  Salamander,  VCLG. 

DIAGNOSIS. — Superior  incisors  with  a  main  groove  dividing  the  tooth  into 
two  unequal  portions;  the  outer  obviously  the  smaller;  the  inner,  larger 
inoiety  marked  by  an  extremely  fine  marginal  groove,  faint,  obscure,  or  per 
haps  sometimes  obsolete.  Tail  and  hind  feet  in  adult  life  naked,  or  nearly 
so..  Otherwise  like  G.  bursarius. 

HABITAT. — Georgia,  Florida,  and  Alabama. 

Description  (numerous  specimens  from  the  above  localities,  including 
some  mentioned  by  Audubon,  those  described  by  Baird,  and  various  others, 


COCJES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  TUZA.  231 

dry  and  alcoholic). — This  species,  apparently  distinct,  nevertheless  resembles 
G.  bursarius  so  closely,  that  no  general  points  of  difference  in  size,  shape,  or 
color  can  be  adduced  for  their  separation.  There  are,  however,  certain  tan 
gible  characters,  not  necessarily  the  same  as  those  given  by  authors.  For 
instance,  Audubon  and  Bachman  dwell  upon  certain  supposed  differences  in 
the  structure  of  the  pouch ;  but  their  observations  rest  upon  bad  taxidermy, 
and  have  no  foundation  in  nature,  the  pouches  in  the. two  species  being  iden 
tical.  These  authors  and  some  others  speak  of  the  upper  incisors  as  single- 
grooved.  This,  if  so,  would  be  a  strong  feature :  but  it,  unfortunately,  is  not 
the  case ;  for,  in  all  the  numerous  specimens  I  have  examined,  the  upper 
incisors  are  double-grooved,  as  in  G.  bursarius,  the  fine  second  groove  being 
perceptible  as  a  delicate  line  of  impression  running  along  the  inner  margin  of 
the  tooth.  It  is  perfectly  distint,  as  a  rule ;  and  in  no  case  have  I  failed  to 
recognize  clearly  at  least  a  trace  of  it,  though  in  some  instances  it  is  faint,  and 
liable  to  be  overlooked"  if  not  closely  examined.  Baird  says  that  this  groove 
is  obsolete  in  old  age,  implying  that  such  is  the  rule :  but,  while  not  doubting 
that  such  may  occur,  I  must  consider  it  as  the  exception ;  for,  as  just  said,  I 
have  never  yet  failed  to  recognize  at  least  a  trace  of  it.  G.  tuza,  therefore, 
has  double-grooved  incisors,  like  G.  bursarius ;  the  point  of  dental  discrep 
ancy  lies  elsewhere.  In  bursarius,  the  main  groove  bisects  what  is  left  of  the 
face  of  the  tooth,  after  subtracting  the  portion  cut  off  by  the  inner  groove ; 
and  this  latter  is  always  distinct.  In  G.  tuza,  the  main  groove  divides  what 
is  left  of  the  face  of  the  tooth,  after  subtracting  the  portion  cut  off  by  the 
inner  groove,  into  two  unequal  portions,  whereof  the  exterior  is  the  smaller ; 
and  the  inner  groove,  always  slight,  may  be  faint,  obscure,  or  perhaps  some 
times  obsolete.  This  is  the  whole  case,  as  far  as  the  incisors  are  concerned. 
The  only  other  character  of  G.  tuza  I  can  appreciate  is  the  nakedness 
of  the  tail  and  feet — especially  the  former.  It  is  true  that  in  G.  bursarius 
the  nakedness  of  these  parts  is  sometimes  noticeable ;  but  it  seems  to  be  not 
carried,  except  perhaps  in  extreme  cases,  to  the  extent  witnessed,  as  a  rule,  in 
G.  tuza.  The  latter  thus  corresponds  with  G.  kispidus  in  this  respect, 
though  very  different  in  other  features.  In  the  best-marked  cases,  the  tail  is, 
perfectly  naked  beyond  the  enlarged  hairy  base ;  the  skin  may  be  stuffed  out 
to  the  caliber  of  a  stout  goose-quill,  and  has  then  a  peculiar  bladdery  appear- 


282  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

ance;  if  the  vertebrae  be  left  in,  it  shrinks  tightly  around  them  in  drying, 
displaying  not  only  the  joints,  but  also  the  shape  of  the  individual  bones.  The 
hind  feet  share  this  nakedness,  but  not  to  the  same  extent ;  the  instep  is 
nearly  bare,  but  the  toes  are  sparsely  pilous  with  short  colorless  bristles.  The 
back  of  the  fore  feet  is  in  much  the  same  condition.  The  depilation  of  the 
members  is  not  always  as  complete  as  here  described ;  but  such  is  the  unmis 
takable  tendency  in  all  cases,  and  such  the  accomplished  result  in  the  majority 
of  examples  in  adult  life.  Younger  specimens,  in  the  plumbago  state  of 
pelage,  show  as  hairy  tail  and  feet  as  an  average  sample  of  G.  bursarius,  and 
before  the  incisors  have  attained  maturity,  so  as  to  afford  fair  characters, 
might  readily  be  supposed  to  be  G.  bursarius,  were  locality  not  taken  into 
account.  Of  such  character  is  No.  1500,  Museum  of  the  Smithsonian  Insti 
tution,  particularly  mentioned  by  Baird,  op.  cit.,  p.  382. 

My  material  is  abundant  for  a  table  of  measurements  of  this  species ; 
but  it  seems  unnecessary  to  prepare  one,  since  it  would  be  simply  an  amplifi 
cation  of  the  statement  that  the  animal  does  not  differ  at  all  from  G.  bursarius 
in  size  or  shape.  For  the  same  reason,  it  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into 
further  description  after  presenting  the  two  characters  (particular  style  of 
sulcation  of  incisors  and  nakedness  of  tail  and  feet)  in  which  solely  does  the 
species  stand  apart  from  G.  bursarius. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  might  be  held  by  some  that  the  present  is 
merely  a  localized  race  of  G.  bursarius ;  and  I  should  be  the  last  one  to  dis 
pute  such  statement  of  an  abstract  fact.  This  Geomys  is,  of  course,  an  off 
shoot  of  the  bursarius  stock ;  and,  for  that  matter,  so  are  all  the  rest  of  the 
"species"  modified  descendants  of  some  one  stock.  It  would  be  only  shifting 
the  question  a  peg  to  require  that  the  fact  should  affect  the  nomenclature.  A 
"permanent  variety"  is  a  contradiction  in  terms.  This  is  the  case:  Here  is 
a  set  of  individuals  differing  thus-and-thus  (as  above  described)  from  another 
set.  The  difference  is  slight,  but  constant;  there  is  no  intergradation,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  the  two  sets  of  animals  now  occupy  different  geograph 
ical  areas,  are  completely  isolated  from  each  other,  and  thus  cut  off  from 
interbreeding ;  or,  in  other  words,  from  reproducing  offspring  in  which  the 
characters  of  both  parents  are  blended.  It  is  quite  possible  that,  in  their 
blind  movements  under  the  ground,  the  two  may  come  together  and  interbreed  ; 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  CASTANOPS.  283 

but  we  must  wait  for  this  to  occur,  and  be  attested  by  Intergrading  specimens, 
before  we  need  hesitate  to  describe  G.  tuza  as  a  "distinct  species." 

The  earliest  notice  specially  referable  here  appears  to  be  the  unmistak 
able  description  by  S.  L.  Mitchill  of  the  "Hamster  of  Georgia,"  and  various 
allusions  are  made  by  other  writers  to  the  same  animal  The  Mus  tuza  *  of 
Ord  unquestionably  belongs  here^  being  based  upon  Mitchill's  animal  A 
short  though  expressive  diagnosis  is  given  by  Rafinesque,  with  unwonted 
accuracy,  of  Geomys  pinetis.  This  name,  or  its  emended  form  G.  pineti, 
has  been  generally  applied,  excepting  by  Audubon  and  Bachman,  who,  ignor 
ing  Rafinesque,  rename  the  animal  Jloridana,  and  refer  it  to  Say's  genus 
Pseudostoma.  The  species  puts  in  the  customary  second-hand  appearance 
under  the  supervision  of  several  systematic  compilers,  few,  if  any,  of 
whom  appear  to  have  had  much  knowledge  of  their  own  upon  the  subject. 

The  geographical  distribution  of  the  species  is  remarkably  limited.  I 
have  no  knowledge  of  its  occurrence  anywhere  excepting  in  Georgia, 
Florida,  and  Alabama.  The  Savannah  River  is  said  to  form  a  complete  bar 
rier  to  its  northward  extension.  Its  westward  limit  is  not  so  precisely  defined ; 
but  it  does  not  appear  to  reach  to  the  Mississippi,  where  the  other  species  is 
found. 

Audubon  and  Bachman  have  nothing  particular  to  say  of  the  habits  of 
this  species  in  comparison  with  G.  bursarius,  beyond  the  statement  that  it 
does  not  become  dormant  in  winter.  The  best  account  of  its  habits,  ancj 
particularly  of  its  mode  of  constructing  its  underground  galleries,  is  Dr. 
Gesner's  article  above  quoted. 

GEOMYS  CASTANOPS,  (Bd.)  Lee. 

Psfudostoma  castanops,  BAIRD,  Stansbury's  Rep.  Great  Salt  Lake,  1852,  313.— AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A. 

Hi,  1854,  304. 
Geomys  casianopa,  LEG.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1852, 163.— BAIRD,  M.  N.  &  1857, 381.— BAIRD,  P.  R.  R. 

Rep.  x,  1859,  Gunnisou  and  Beckwith'a  Route,  Mamm.  8,  pi.  10,  f.  2. 
Geomys  clarkii,  BAIRD,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1855, 332.— BAIRD,  M.  N.  A.  1857, 383,  pi.  50,  figs,  la-g.— 

KENNERLY,  P.  R.  R.  Rep.  x,  1859,  Whipple's  Route,  Mamm.  13. — BAIRD,  U.  S.  Mex.  Bound. 

Survey,  ii,  pt.  ii,  1859,  Mamm.  p.  — ,  — .— GERE.,  Cat.  Bones  Br.  Mus.  1862,  222. 
Chestnut-faced,  and  Pecos  Gopher,  BAIRD,  II.  oc. 

DIAGNOSIS. — Superior  incisors  with  a  single  median  groove  bisecting  the 
face  exactly.  Fore  feet  shorter,  or  not  'longer  than  hind  feet ;  these  and  the 

*  Evidently  the  same  word  as  tuya,  iuza,  tucatt,  &c. 
30  COL 


234  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

tail  sparsely  pilous.  Color  pale  yellowish-brown  above,  inclining  more  or 
less  to  dull  chestnut  about  the  head  ;  whitish  below.  Size  of  G.  bursarius,  or 
rather  less.  Fur  soft,  as  usual  in  the  genus. 

HABITAT. — Texas  and  New  Mexico. 

Description  (from  Baird's  types  of  G.  castanops  and  G.  clarkii,  and  other 
specimens). — This  remarkable  species  is  immediately  distinguished  from  all 
others  known  to  me  by  the  combination  of  a  single  median  groove  of  the 
incisors,  pale  light  color,  and  small  size.  In  the  first-named  particular  alone, 
it  agrees  with  G.  mexicanus ;  in  both  these  species,  the  single  groove  is  cen 
tral,  bisecting  the  surface,  so  that,  viewed  from  the  front,  there  appear  to  be 
four  incisors.  This  at  once  and  permanently  separates  it  from  G.  bursarius, 
with  which  it  is  to  be  compared  in  other  respects.  In  size,  the  five  speci 
mens  before  me  average  about  the  same  as  G.  bursarius,  though  none  are  as 
large  as  the  largest  of  the  latter  I  have  seen.  The  length  of  the  full-grown 
animal  may  be  about  8  inches,  rather  less  than  more ;  and  some  are  not  much 
over  6  inches.  The  tail,  as  well  as  can  be  judged,  is  2J  to  3  inches.  A  nota 
ble  peculiarity  of  form,  in  comparison  with  G.  bursarius,  lies  in  the  relative 
proportions  of  the  fore  and  hind  feet,  which  are  much  as  in  GG.  mexicanus  and 
hispidus ;  the  palm,  with  the  length  of  claws  included,  being  shorter,  or,  at 
most  no  longer,  than  the  sole  and  claws ;  the  latter  measuring  about  1 J  inches, 
the  former  only  about  1 J  inches.  The  fore  claws  are,  however,  well  developed 
proportionally,  no  difference  in  this  respect  from  G.  bursarius  being  readily 
appreciable.  The  external  ears  may  fairly  be  called  obsolete ;  in  neither  of  the 
specimens  can  I  make  out  anything  more  than  a  thickened  rim  surrounding 
the  orifice  of  the  meatus.  The  hairiness  of  the  tail  and  hind  feet  is  pretty 
much  as  in  an  average  specimen* of  G.  bursarius  or  G.  mexicanus;  they  are  thinly 
clothed  indeed,  but  noticeably  more  so  than  is  ever  the  case  with  G.  tuza 
or  G.  hispidus.  The  pouches  are  somewhat  less  ample,  apparently,  than  in 
G.  bursarius — a  character  coordinated  in  this  genus  with  weaker  fore  feet, 
and  seen  also  in  G.  mexicanus  and  G.  hispidus. 

The  coloration  merits  particular  attention,  not  only  as  it  is  the  next  to 
the  strongest  character  of  the  species,  but  because  a  casual  phase  of  it  was 
the  basis  of  the  original  Pseudostoma  castanops.  It  might  seem  surprising,  and 
certainly  it  would  be  contrary  to  analogy,  that  a  single  species  of  this  uni- 


COtJES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  CASTANOPS.  235 

formly-colored  family  should  exhibit  "sharply-defined"  or  "symmetrically- 
subcircular"  areas  of  color ;  and  such  proves  not  to  be  the  case.  The  type 
of  Pseudostoma  .castanops,  now  before  me,  in  a  good  state  of  preservation, 
notwithstanding  the  vicissitudes  of  thirty  years  of  museum  existence,  though 
bleached  by  long  exposure  to  the  light,  still  shows  the  curious  chestnut  head- 
patches,  sharply  defined  against^pale  tawny-white  surroundings,  just  as 
described  at  length  by  Professor  Baird.  But  the  animal  was  shedding  its  coat 
when  killed ;  hence  the  appearance.  The  new  fur  is  brightly  colored,  con 
trasting  with  the  old  faded  and  worn  pelage.*  One  of  the  types  of  "clarkii" 
has  the  same  color  of  the  head,  but  this  is  also  diffused  with  somewhat  dimin 
ished  intensity  over  the  whole  upper  parts.  Other  specimens  are  entirely 
similar,  with  various  shading  of  the  main  color.  This  may  be  described  as 
a  dull,  pale  chestnut,  or  almost  fawn-color,  more  or  less  shaded  with  the  plum 
beous  basal  portions  of  the  fur,  which  usually  show  more  or  less  in  this  genus, 
be  the  fur  never  so  smoothly  laid.  This  tawny  or  fulvous  tone  of  color  is 
highly  characteristic  in  comparison  with  the  deeper  and  warmer  chocolate  or 
muddy  browns  which  G.  bursarius  shows.  On  the  under  parts,  though  the 
plumbeous  basal  portion  of  the  fur  shows  considerably,  the  general  tint  is 
whitish — quite  white  in  comparison  with  the  muddy  gray  of  the  same  parts 
of  G.  bursarius.  The  whiskers  are  mostly  colorless ;  they  are  fine  and 
numerous,  the  longest  about  equaling  the  head.  The  claws  are  pale  horn- 
color  ;  the  naked  palms  and  soles  show  various  discoloration,  perhaps  accord 
ing  to  the  quality  of  the  soil  worked  in.  The  incisors  are  orange,  as  usual. 
The  few  specimens  of  this  species  known  to  naturalists  were  procured 
in  Texas  and  New  Mexico.  The  animal  would  appear  to  be  comparatively 
rare,  as  very  few  individuals,  additional  to  those  described  by  Professor  Baird, 
have  ever  been  collected,  though  we  have  plenty  of  the  Thomomys  (unibrinus) 
of  the  same  region.  The  written  history  of  the  species  is  brief  and  precise  ; 
determination  of  the  identity  of  clarkii  with  castanops  leaves  nothing  to  be 
said  on  the  score  of  synonymy.  Castanops  is  to  be  retained  as  the  prior  name, 
and  is  unobjectionable,  though  it  has  proven  not  particularly  pertinent. 

*  Various  specimens  of  Geomys  and  Thomomys,  changing  pelage,  show  curious  sharp  wandering 
lines  where  the  old  and  new  fur  fail  to  meet  and  fit  exactly  ;  and  such  lines  are  often  observed  when  the 
pelage  appears  to  be  all  of  an  age. 


236  EXPLOEATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 


GEOMYS  MEXICANUS,  (Licht.)  Lee. 

Aecomys  mexicanus,  LIGHT.,  Abhand.  K.  Acad.  Wiss.  Berl.  1827, 113. — BRANTS,  Muizen,  1827,  27.— WAGN., 
Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  384 ;  iv,  pi.  206  A.— CHARLESW.,  P.  Z.  S.  ix,  1841,  60.— SCHINZ, 
Synop.  ii,  1845,  133. 

Saccophorua  mexicanuq,  FISCH.,  Synop.  1829,  305.— EYD.  &  GERV.,  Gue"riu  Mag.  vi,  1836,  23,  pi.  21,  f.  5,  6 ; 
Voy.  Favorite,  v,  1839,  23,  pi.  8,  f.  5,  6.— RICH.,  Rep.  Brit.  Assoc.  vi,  1836,  156.— GRAY,  List 
Mamm.  Br.  Mus.  1843, 150.— GERR.,  Cat.  Bones  Br.  MUB.  1862,  223. 

Pscudosioma  (Geomys)  mexicana,  AtJD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1854,  309. 

Geomys  mexicanus,  LEG.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pbila.  1852,  160. — BAIRD.M.  N.  A.  1857,  387. 

Geomys  (Saccophorus)  mexicanus,  GIEB.,  Saug.  1855,  529. 

Tucan  of  HERNANDEZ. — Tuca  or  Tuza,  MEXICAN. — Tugan  apnd  GERR.,  L  c. 

MexicaniscJie  Taschenmaus,  GERMAN. 

DIAGNOSIS. — Superior  incisors  bisected  by  a  single  median  furrow  (as  in 
G.  casfanops,  which  is  very  different  in  color).  Coloration  and  general  appear 
ance  of  G.  bursarius  (which  has  two  distinct  grooves  on  the  upper  incisors). 
Fur  soft,  sleek,  as  in  other  species  of  the  genus  (excepting  G.  hispidus,  where 
it  is  extremely  coarse  and  harsh).  Averaging  much  larger  than  any  United 
States  species  (nearly  equaling  G.  hispidus),  with  proportionally  smaller 
pouches  and  hands,  and  weaker  claws  (these  parts  being  as  in  G.  hispidus}. 
Tail  and  feet  clothed  (as  usual  in  the  genus),  not  naked  as  in  G.  hispidus 
and  G.  tuza. 

HABITAT. — Mexico. 

Description  (No.  3523,  Xalapa,  De  Oca,  skin). — The  general  appearance 
of  this  animal  is  so  exactly  that  of  an  overgrown  or  overstuffed  specimen  of 
ordinary  bursarius,  that  I  shoujd  be  at  a  loss  for  terms  referring  to  color  to 
precisely  characterize  it.  It  is,  nevertheless,  entirely  distinct  from  this  or 
any  other  species.  It  shares,  with  G.  castanops,  the  single  median*  furrow  of 
the  upper  incisors,  and  some  other  points  of  form ;  but  it  is  much  larger,  and 
altogether  of  a  different  color.  The  excellently  well-prepared  and  not  over 
stuffed  specimen  here  described  is  only  equaled  in  a  large  series  of  G.  bur 
sarius  by  a  single  much  overstuffed  example.  The  dimensions  cannot  be 
given  with  entire  accuracy ;  but  the  species  probably  averages,  when  full- 

*G.  hispidus  has  been  described  as  baving  a  single  median  furrow  ;  tbe  emphasis  here,  however,  ia 
upon  "  single,"  in  antithesis  to  the  double  furrow  of  G.  bursarius,  without  reference  to  exact  position.  G. 
tuza  is  said  to  have  a  "siugle"  furrow;  but  the  proper  implication  is  merely  obsoleteness  of  the  fine 
inner  second  furrow  usually  seen.  In  G.  mexicanus,  as  in  G.  castanops,  the  furrow  is  truly  single  and 
median;  in  G.  hispidus,  single  and  internal ;  in  G.  tuza,  apparently  single  and  external. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  MEXICANUS.          237 

grown,  about  10  inches  from  nose  to  root  of  tail.  Tail  about  3  inches  from 
its  apparent  base  (LeConte  gives  its  length  as  5  inches);  sole,  somewhat 
cramped,  apparently  1.50 ;  hand,  much  cramped,  estimated  to  be  about  the 
same,  or  rather  less.  Nose  to  eye  about  1.35.  Girth  of  body  8  or  9  inches. 
The  pouches,  as  well  as  can  be  judged  from  the  skin,  are  smaller  proportion 
ally  than  those  of  the  United  States  species ;  in  this  respect,  being  like  those 
of  G.  hispidus.  These  two  Mexican  species  further  agree  in  the  relative 
smallness  of  the  hands  and  less  enormous  development  of  the  claws ;  the  fore 
member  being  shorter,  or,  at  most,  not  longer,  than  the  hinder  one.  The 
vesture  of  the  feet  and  tail  is  much  the  same  in  extent  as  in  bursarius,  and 
thus  in  striking  contrast  to  those  parts  in  either  G.  tuza  or  G.  hispidus.  The 
orifice  of  the  external  ear  presents,  in  the  dried  state,  a  mere  rim,  around 
which  no  flap  can  be  fairly  recognized. 

It  seems  preferable  thus  to  describe  this  species  in  comparative  terms  to 
bring  out  the  curious  interrelations  of  the  animal — a  species  with  the  size 
and  single  incisor-furrow  of  G.  hispidus,  yet  the  furrow  different  in  position, 
and  the  pelage  altogether  different.  Agreeing  in  the  points  of  character  of 
pelage,  its  color,  and  amount  of  hairiness  of  tail  and  feet  with  G.  bursarius, 
yet  at  once  distinguished  by  its  superior  size  and  single  median  furrow  of  the 
upper  front  teeth ;  exactly  like  G.  castanops  in  this  last  respect,  and  in  most 
others,  yet  entirely  of  a  different  color ;  disagreeing  with  all  the  United  States 
species  in  its  smaller  pouches  and  weaker  hands,  and  in  these  points  agreeing 
with  its  very  distinct  Mexican  congener. 

As  regards  color:  LeConte's  animal,  "which  agrees  with  Lichtenstein's 
and  Wagner's  descriptions,"  and  is  called  '''saturate  cinereus,  supra  nigro-tinctus, 
naso  brunneo"  was  evidently  an  example  of  the  "plumbago"-colored  variation, 
which  may  occur  in  any  species  of  this  genus  as  well  as  in  Thomomys.  The 
specimen  before  me  is  of  the  normal  coloration ;  and  this  cannot  readily  be 
characterized  as  anything  decidedly  different  from  ordinary  bursarius,  tiiough 
there  is  a  purity  of  the  chestnut-brown  which  contrasts  with  the  muddy  brown 
(in  some  cases  almost  a  glaucous  shade  or  "bloom")  commonly  seen  in  bur 
sarius.  All  the  fur  is  deep  plumbeous  basally,  pointed  with  the  warm  brown 
on  the  upper  parts,  and  only  partially  hidden  below  by  muddy  gray  and  hoary 
ends  of  the  hairs.  There  is  a  darkness  about  the  auricular  region.  The  hind 


238  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

feet  and  tail  are  mostly  whitish  (as  is  always  liable  to  be  the  case  in  Geomys). 
There  is  some  whitishness  about  the  lower  jaw,  and  a  small  white  abdominal 
and  anal  patch;  these  last  being  of  the  irregular  indeterminate  character  often 
seen  in  and  out  of  this  genus.  This  specimen  corresponds  exactly  with 
Brants's  diagnosis  of  his  var.  ft.  of  mexicanus — "  castaneus,  infra  canescens, 
maculis  auricularibus  duabus  nigro-fuscis."  The  same  author's  var.  y.  suggests 
hispidus;  but  it  is  as  well  not  to  strain  a  point  here;  for  injudicious  scrutiny 
of  "some  of  the  printed  matter  extant  upon  the  subject  of  mexicanus  might 
raise  synonymatic  difficulty  with  hispidus, 

Owing  to  insufficiency  of  material,  I  am  not  prepared  to  pursue  the  sub 
ject  of  the  characters  of  mexicanus  into  the  details  of  variation  in  size  and 
color;  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  corresponds  with  G.  bursarius  in  these 
respects. 

The  specimen  shows  three  pairs  of  mammae — two  of  which  are  inguinal 
and  close  together  along  the  inside  of  the  thigh,  the  third  being  pectoral,  at 
a  considerable  distance ;  I  can  find  none  between. 

This  animal  is  supposed  to  be  the  Tucan  of  Hernandez,  with  much  prob 
ability;  and,  if  so,  it  was  the  first  of  the  genus  to  appear  in  print.  It  does  not 
appear,  however,  to  have  received  a  scientific  designation,  or  to  have  prop 
erly  entered  upon  record  until  many  years  after  liMus  bursarius"  had  become 
known,  when,  in  1827,  it  was  called  Ascomys  mexicanus  by  Lichtenstein.  I 
have  met  with  no  specific  synonyms,  though  it  has  been  referred  to  various 
genera.  As  the  Tuza  or  Tuca  of  the  Mexicans,  it  is  treated  at  some  length 
in  the  inedited  MSS.  of  Dr.  Berlandier,  who,  after  a  good  description,  says 
that  it  was  supposed  by  Mocinno  and  Sesse*  (ined.)  to  be  the  Mus  citillus  of 
Linnaeus,  and  that  it  is  the  Taupe  mexicaine  of  which  Clavigero  speaks.  "It 
is  destructive  in  the  fields  by  riddling  the  ground  ....  it  brings  up  earth  in 
its  pouches,  and  empties  them  with  its  fore  feet;"  and  he  adds  that  it  inhabits 
the  cold  and  temperate  regions  of  New  Spain,  and  that  he  never  saw  the 
Tuza  in  places  where  there  were  squirrels.  It  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  its 
habits  are  in  any  wise  different  from  those  of  G.  bursarius. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  H1SPIDUS.  239 

GEOMYS  HISPIDUS,  Lee. 

Saccophorus  quachil,  GRAY,  P.  Z.  S.  xi,  1843,  79,  ex  Coban,  VeraPaz,  descr.  nulla! — GERE.,  Cat.  Bones  Br. 

Mus.  1862, 223. 

Geomys  hispidus,  LEC.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila,  1852,  158.— BAIRD,  M.  N.  A.  1857,  386,  pi.  22,  f.  4  a-d. 
Pseudostoma  (Geomys)  hispidum,  AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1854,  306. 

DIAGNOSIS. — Superior  incisors  with  a  single  strong  deep  furrow,  lying 
wholly  in  the  inner  half  of  the  tooth.  Tail  and  hind  feet  naked,  or  nearly  so; 
fore  feet  sparsely  hirsute.  Fore  feet,  including  claws,  decidedly  shorter  than 
the  hind  feet.  Pouches  moderate,  scarcely  or  not  reaching  beyond  the  head. 
Pelage  stiff,  hispid,  and  almost  lusterless.  Color  uniform  dull  chocolate- 
brown,  merely  paler,  grayer,  or  smoky  brown  below.  Of  large  size ;  upward 
of  a  foot  long;  tail  short,  about  3  inches;  sole,  1§,  &c. 

HABITAT. — Mexico  and  Central  America. 

Description  (from  various  dried  specimens). — The  animal  indicated  in 
the  foregoing  paragraph,  and  about  to  be  described  in  further  detail,  agrees 
perfectly  with  the  accounts. given  by  LeConte  and  Baird  from  the  same  spec 
imen  collected  some  years  ago  by  Mr.  Charles  Pease,  somewhere  between 
Vera  Cruz  and  Mexico  City.  The  type  remained  unique  until  recently,  when 
several  well-prepared  skins  reached  the  Smithsonian.  These  are  from  Xalapa, 
Mexico  (De  Oca},  and  Necostla,  Mexico  (Sumichrasf] ;  Costa  Rica  (Zeledon 
and  Canmof) ;  and  Guatemala  City  (  Van  Patten).  Most  of  these  specimens 
are  labeled  "mexicanus,"  as  might  have  been  expected  under  the  circum 
stances.  They  agree  perfectly  with  each  other,  as  well  as  with  the  above- 
quoted  descriptions,  and  are  unquestionably  distinct  from  the  true  mexicanus. 

In  the  original  notices,  the  character  of  the  upper  incisors  was  not  fully 
indicated,  owing  to  defect  of  the  specimens.  My  specimens  show  that  these 
teeth  are  unisulcate,  as  in  mexicanus,  but  that  the  position  of  the  groove  is 
sufficiently  different  to  constitute  by  itself  a  perfect  specific  character.  In 
mexicanus,  as  has  been  already  said,  a  single  profound  groove  bisects  the 
tooth;  in  hispidus,  there  is  a  similar  single  groove,  but  it  lies  on  the  inner  half 
of  the  tooth.  In  some  specimens,  indeed,  where  the  groove  is  widest,  it  may 
encroach  slightly  upon  the  median  line;  but  it  usually  lies  altogether  to  one 
side,  the  outer  plane  surface  of  the  tooth  being  alone  as  wide  as  the  groove 
plus  the  inner  plane  surface.  This  character  is  unique  among  the  species 


240          EXPLOEATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

described  in  this  paper.  The  teeth  of  old  animals  are  also  of  immense  size, 
suggesting  a  beaver  or  porcupine;  the  under  incisors  sometimes  protrude 
nearly  an  inch,  while  the  upper  ones  are  exposed  for  over  half  an  inch. 

The  next  most  notable  feature  is  the  nakedness  of  the  tail  and  feet.  The 
tail,  in  extreme  cases,  is  absolutely  bare — not  a  hair  or  bristle  can  be  discerned, 
even  on  holding  the  specimen  up  to  the  light,  except  upon  the  enlarged  base 
In  these  cases,  the  hind  feet,  from  the  tarso-metatarsal  joint  outward,  are 
nearly  bare,  though  a  few  bristly  hairs  may  be  observed,  especially  on  the  toes. 
The  hands  share  the  same  nakedness,  but  in  less  degree ;  their  backs  are 
sparsely  clothed  with  bristly  hairs,  indeed,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
conceal  the  skin;  a  slight  stiff  fringe  of  hairs  overhangs  the  inner  border. 
Specimens  vary  in  these  respects;  in  some,  delicate  bristles,  scarcely  visible 
except  when  held  up  to  a  light,  are  scattered  over  the  tail,  and  more  evident 
ones  clothe  the  instep.  But  the  parts  are  never  fairly  hairy,  as  in  mexicanus, 
always  presenting  a  peculiar  skinny  appearance. 

There  are  additional  characters,  aside  from,  size  and  color.  The  very 
short  tail  is  less  than  one-fourth  as  long  as  the  head  and  body.  Owing,  in 
part,  to  a  less  development  of  the  fore  claws,  the  hands  are  not  as  long  as  the 
feet.  The  longest  third  claw  before  me  is  only  exserted  three-fourths  of  an 
inch,  and  it  is  usually  shorter  than  this.  The  second  and  fourth  claws  are  sub- 
equal  to  each  other.  The  whole  hand  is  smaller  and  weaker  than  in  the  G.  bur- 
sarius  group,  indicating  less  fossorial  nature;  and  coincidently  with  this — per-* 
haps  in  correspondence  with  it — the  cheek-pouches  are  not  so  highly  developed. 
As  well  as  can  be  judged  from  prepared  skins,  the  sacs  do  not  reach  beyond  the 
head — certainly  not  to  the  shoulder;  their  capacity,  in  an  individual  nearly  a 
foot  long,  seems  no  greater  than  that  of  specimens  of  G.  bursarius  eight 
inches  long,  and  not  more  than  half  as  bulky. 

The  hispid  pelage  is  a  remarkable  feature;  this  is  so  strong  a  character 
that  the  species  may  readily  be  diagnosticated  in  the  dark  by  the  "feel"  of  the 
fur,  and  it  is  instantly  noted  in  comparison  with  any  of  the  other  species,  in 
which  the  pelage  is  sleek  and  soft,  much  like  a  mole's.  Besides  being  so 
coarse  and  harsh,  and  almost  entirely  lusterless,  it  is  longer  than  usual,  and 
interspersed  with  still  longer  and  almost  bristly  hairs.  There  is  no  percept 
ible  under-fur  different  from  the  general  pelage ;  and  the  color  is  uniform  to 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— G.  HISPIDUS.  241 

the  roots  of  the  hairs.  The  whiskers  are  numerous,  but  short ;  the  longest 
not  equaling  the  head.  There  are  other  lengthened  bristles  over  the  eyes, 
on  the  cheeks,  and  elsewhere;  but  they  are  not  readily  discovered  amidst  the 
coarse  hispid  hair  of  the  parts. 

There  is  no  occasion  to  enlarge  upon  general  characters  of  the  muffle, 
feet,  &c.,  shared  by  other  species.-^  In  the  best-prepared  specimens,  the  large 
orifice  of  the  external  ear  is  p  seen  to  be  nearly  surrounded  by  a  small  but 
unmistakable  flap. 

It  is  characteristic  of  all  the  other  species  of  Geomys  I  know  of,  those 
with  soft  hair,  to  have  plumbeous-colored  fur  at  base,  pointed  with  the  par 
ticular  brown,  fulvous,  or  other  shade  which  determines  their  appearance  to 
the  eye.  The  case  is  different  with  G.  hispidus,  in  which  the  pelage  is  uni- 
color  from  base  to  tip ;  and  the  color,  too,  is  peculiar.  It  is  a  dark  mahog- 
any'-brown,  or  rather  a  chocolate,  or  cafe  sans  lait  color,  a  little  lighter  or 
darker  according  to  age  or  season,  or  fortuitously,  but  in  any  event  uniform 
over  all  the  upper  parts  and  sides.  Underneath  the  color  is  the  same,  but 
paler  and  dilute — like  cafe  au  lait;  sometimes  quite  smoky  gray,  or  muddy 
brown.  The  under  parts,  however,  frequently  show  patches  of  white  here 
and  there;  these  are  altogether  indeterminate,  being  as  irregular  in  size, 
shape,  number,  and  position  as  the  similar  white  patches  on  the  under  side  of 
a  mink  (Putorius  vison).  It  is  probable,  also,  that  plumbago-colored  individ 
uals  occur,  as  happens  to  the  other  species;  but  I  have  seen  none  such.  The 
naked  parts  appear  to  have  been  reddish  or  flesh-colored;  the  claws  are  an 
indefinite  horn-color;  the  incisors  are  faced  with  the  usual  rodent-red;  color 
of  eyes  not  stated  on  labels,  but  probably  black. 

The  size  of  the  species  can  only  be  approximately  estimated  from  the 
dried  skins ;  but  it  is  evidently  the  largest  species  of  those  here  treated,  some 
what  exceeding  G.  mexicanus.  Well-prepared  skins  average  about  11  inches 
in  length,  with  a  girth  of  some  9  inches.  The  tail,  from  the  extreme  base,  is 
less  than  3  inches;  its  naked  part  hardly  over  2.  Sole  of  foot  about  If;  palm, 
including  longest  claw,  less  than  this.  Nose  to  eye,  nearly  1J.  A  ruler 
inserted  in  the  pouch  measures  off  about  2J  inches  from  the  bottom  of  the 
sac  to  the  snout.  The  opening  of  the  sac  is  about  1J  inches  long. 

In  a  female,  killed  during  lactation  apparently,  I  find,  after  diligent  search, 
31  COL 


242  EXPLOBATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOBADO. 

only  three  pairs  of  teats — two  pairs  inguinal,  and  one  pair,  longo  intervallo,  pec 
toral.  These  are  very  conspicuous,  on  naked  scabrous  spaces,  and  the  thin 
coarse  fur  would  hardly,  I  think,  -hide  others  if  they  were  present.  In  some 
species  of  this  family  I  have  distinctly  recognized  six  pairs.  I  observe  no 
sexual  peculiarities  in  size'  or  color. 

The  geographical  distribution  of  the  species  has  been  already  indicated 
as  far  as  my  present  materials  go.  I  am  in  .possession  of  no  information 
respecting  its  habits,  which,  however,  may  be  presumed  to  be  the  same  as 
those  of  its  congeners ;  though  the  weaker  feet  and  proportionally  smaller 
pouches  may  indicate  that  the  fossorial  character  is  not  pushed  to  such  an 
extreme  as  is  the  case  with  G.  bursarius. 

The  written  history  of  the  species  is  brief  and  precise;  the  name  having 
been  only  introduced  in  1852.  Audubon  and  Bach  man's  account  is  from  Le 
Conte,  and  Baird  redescribes  LeConte's  type.  It  is  quite  possible,  and, 
indeed,  probable,  that  this  second  Mexican  species  has  figured  at  times  under 
the  name  of  mexicanus,  but  it  would  only  tend  to  obscure  a  matter  now  clear 
to  drag  any  such  point  to  light.  Now  that  we  know  of  two  perfectly  good 
species  in  Mexico,  the  less  said  about  the  Tucan  of  Hernandez,  or  any  simi 
lar  subsequent  uncertainties,  the  better. 

A  Saccophorus  quachil,  from  Guatemala,  was  named  by  Dr.  Gray  in  1843, 
though  I  cannot  find  that  the  species  was  ever  described.  But  through  the 
kind  offices  of  Mr.  R.  B.  Sharpe,  who,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Gerrard, 
examined  the  type  still  in  the  British  Museum,  at  my  request,  I  am  informed 
that  it  is  the  animal  first  described,  though  subsequently  named,  by  Dr. 
LeConte. 


The  foregoing  pages  include  all  the  species  of  Geomys  with  which  I  am 
acquainted,  and  account  probably  for  all  the  names  which  have  been  intro 
duced  excepting  one,  G.  heterodus,  recently  described,  from  Central  America, 
by  Professor  Peters,  of  which  I  know  nothing.  ("Uber  neue  Arten  der 
Saugthier-Gattungen  Geomys,  Haplodon  und  Dasypus."  <  Monatsberichte 
Acad.  Wissensch.  Berlin,  1864,  Mar.  17,  pp.  177-180.) 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS.  243 


Genus  THOMOMYS,  Maxim. 

Oryctomys,  pt.  EYD.  &  GERV.,  Mag.  Zool.  vi,  1836,  23. 
Thomomys,  MAXIM.,  N.  Act.  Acacl.  CSRS.  Leop.  xix,  1839,  383. 

(In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  all  the  synonyms  of  Geomys,  q.  v.,  have  been  applied  to  this  genus.) 

The  readiness  with  which  the  species  of  Geomys  may  be  recognized  and 
defined,  is  a  measure  of  the  difficulties  encountered  in  the  genus  Thomomys, 
where,  with  the  exception  of  T.  clusius,  the  several  forms  into  which  the 
genus  has  become  differentiated  are  not  yet  sufficiently  stable  to  permit 
of  positive,  precise  determination.  After  bringing  to  bear  upon  the  subject 
an  unusually  protracted  study,  in  the  course  of  which  I  have  critically  exam 
ined  a  hundred  or  more  specimens,  I  am  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  not  a 
single  one  of  the  six  or  eight  currently  recognized  species  is  susceptible 
of  satisfactory  diagnosis.  No  descriptive  formula  can  be  devised  to  mark  off 
the  characters  of  any  one  set  of  specimens,  so  completely  is  the  whole  series 
linked  together.  Nevertheless,  it  is  easy  to  recognize  three  extremes  of 
variation  (i.  e.,  of  differentiation),  selected  specimens  of  which  would  not  be 
confounded  by  the  most  careless  observer;  and  it  would  be  as  unscientific  to 
ignore  these  various  phases  of  the  genus,  as  to  force  them  unnaturally  apart 
in  an  attempt  to  ignore  the  still  extant  links  by  which  they  are  bound 
together.  There  is  an  unmistakable  average  of  characters,  which  serves  for 
the  recognition  of  three  climatic  or  geographical  races,  conspecies  or  sub 
species,  which  may  be  described  in  terms  perhaps  covering  75  per  cent, 
of  existing  individuals ;  but  the  remainder  cannot  be  thus  disposed  of.  In 
other  words,  the  causes  which  have  been  operative  in  modifying  an  original 
Thomomys  stock  have  been  only  incompletely  effectual  in  the  formation 
of  species.  We  clearly  observe  the  tendency  of  those  modifying  influences 
to  which  the  genus  has  been  subjected ;  but  we  note  with  equal  clearness  the 
incompleteness,  up  to  the  present  time,  of  the  result.  Nor  is  this  by  any 
means  an  exceptional  case ;  on  the  contrary,  positive  diagnosis  of  forms,  or 
specific  distinctions  in  the  proper  sense,  become  impossible,  in  perhaps  a 
majority  of  cases,  when  sufficient  series  of  specimens  are  examined.  As  I 
have  frequently  remarked  before  under  different  modes  of  expression,  the 


244  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

ability  to  define  species  satisfactorily  is  a  very  good  gauge  of  our  ignorance 
of  the  whole  truth. 

But  naturalists  practically  work,  for  the  most  part,  upon  the  surface 
of  the  subjects  presented  to  their  examination,  not  necessarily  concerning 
themselves  at  all  times  with  what  lies  hidden  underneath.  There  are  occa 
sions  to  speculate  and  theorize,  and  there  are  other  times  when  a  naturalist 
may  legitimately  ignore  underlying  principles,  and  properly  content  himself 
with  statement  of  certain  observed  facts.  Working  on  this  plane,  as  I  am 
in  the  present  instance,  it  is  my  business  to  render  an  exact  account  of  what 
I  find  the  case  of  Thomomys  to  be,  without  reference  to  abstract  questions 
involved ;  and  to  sum  the  statement  in  such  nomenclatural  terms  as  I  may 
judge  most  suitable  to  express  the  relationships  believed  to  subsist  between 
the  several  differentiations  which  the  genus  has  undergone.  In  describing 
the  several  forms  of  Thomomys,  I  waive  the  question  of  species ;  no  harvest 
would  be  garnered  if  the  laborers  waited  till  they  learned  how  the  grain 
grew.  In  studying  my  specimens,  I  find  that  one  of  them  differs  from  all 
the  rest  to  such  a  degree  that  its  characters  are  totally  irreconcilable  with 
those  of  any  others.  My  description  of  it  is  merely  an  amplification  of  this 
statement.  I  give  it  a  name,  and  call  it  a  species,  conventionally,  simply  in 
recognition  of  this  fact,  and  for  the  usual  purpose  of  readily  indexing  the 
items  of  information  the  specimen  affords.  I  find,  furthermore,  that  all  the 
other  specimens  collectively  present  a  varying  sum  of  characters,  according 
to  difference  in  the  emphasis  of  each  one  of  these  characters  common  to  all ; 
and  that  their  interrelation  or  intergradation  is  so  intimate  and  complete  that 
no  lines  of  precise  distinction  can  be  drawn ;  but  that,  nevertheless,  an  average 
difference  in  three  directions  may  be  readily  perceived  and  described  intel 
ligibly.  It  is  an  undoubted  fact,  furthermore,  that  these  three  differentiations 
are  related  in  some  way  to  certain  geographical  areas,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  all  the  specimens  of  one  style  are  produced  in  certain  portions  of  the 
country,  and  all  of  the  rest  in  certain  other  regions ;  and  that  the  Thdinomys 
existing  on  the  confines  of  the  several  areas  share  each  others'  peculiarities. 
It  is,  once  again,  within  the  experience  of  those  who  have  studied  such 
subjects  in  their  general  bearings,  that  the  aspects  of  the  case  presented  by 
Thomomys  tally  exactly  with  those  determined  in  a  great  many  other  cases. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS.  245 

Not  to  pursue  this  subject  to  the  extent  of  further  allusion  to  laws  fairly 
deducible  from  such  premises,  it  is  a  logical  inference  from  what  has  been 
said  that  there  is  but  one  "species"  among  all  these  specimens.  This  "species" 
is  modified  by  some  unknown  means,  evidently  related  in  some  way  to  the 
climate,  soil,  vegetable  productions,  or  other  peculiarities  of  certain  geo 
graphical  areas,  yet  not  to  the  extent  of  severing  the  links  which  bind  all  its 
individuals  together.  This  species,  in  the  course  of  time,  by  the  continued 
operation  of  the  same  influences,  may  or  may  not  be  resolved  into  three  or 
more  species  in  the  current  acceptation  of  the  term ;  but  at  present  such  is 
not  the  case.  It  is  my  intention,  in  the  following  pages,  to  describe  these 
variations  in  detail.  In  so  doing,  I  consider  it  advisable,  for  convenience' 
sake,  to  give  them  each  a  name ;  and,  in  so  doing,  I  shall  adopt  a  formula 
of  nomenclature  which  I  consider  best  suited  to  suggest  the  intergradation 
which  I  find  to  exist,  without  reference  to  Linnaeus  or  to  the  British  Asso 
ciation. 

It  may  tend  to  take  the  edge  off  the  imputation  implied  in  the  remark 
made  above,  that  six  or  eight  species  admitted  by  naturalists  of  high  repute 
must  be  reduced  to  one,  to  briefly  review  the  written  history  of  Thomomys. 
The  literature  of  the  subject  is  unusually  brief,  and  it  is  somewhat  surprising 
how  much  of  it  is  pure  compilation,  which  has  no  actual  bearing  upon  the 
case.  Eydoux  and  Gervais,  and  Maximilian,  each  described  a  species,  and 
Waterhouse  and  Brandt  have  both  handled  the  general  aspects  of  the  case ; 
but,  with  these  exceptions,  almost  no  original  work  appears  from  foreign 
authorities.  Fischer,  Schinz  (whose  one  new  species  was  a  self-confessed 
synonym),  Wagner,  Giebel,  and  doubtless  other  systernatists,  have  treated 
of  a  number  of  species  of  Thomomys,  but  entirely  at  second  hand.  Such 
authorities  may  be  passed  over  in  respectful  silence,  having  no  weight 
whatever.  The  very  slight  knowledge  from  abroad  will  seem  the  less 
remarkable  when  we  find  how  little  has  been  done  by  the  naturalists  of  this 
country.  Rafinesque's  animals  appear  to  have  been  all  Geomys.  Godman 
had  nothing  to  say  upon  the  subject.  Bachman's  descriptions  of  two  species, 
in  1839,  were  upon  Richardson's  MSS.  DeKay  enumerated  some  species 
at  second  hand.  Audubon  and  Bachman's  accounts  of  several  species  add 
positively  nothing  to  what  was  already  extant  upon  the  subject.  When 
LeConte  monographed  the  family  in  1852,  he  knew  but  a  single  species, 


246  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

giving  compiled  indications  only  of  several  others.  Woodhouse  'described  a 
new  species  in  1853.  Various  naturalists  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  Surveys 
furnished  field -notes  of  observation,  but  their  determinations,  to  state  a  well- 
known  fact,  were  not  upon  their  own  authority.  In  fact,  the  -literature  of  the 
whole  subject,  so  far  as  original  work  in  determination  of  species  is  concerned, 
focuses  only  in  two  authors — Richardson,  1829,  and  Baird,  1857. 

No  species  of  Thomomys  having  apparently  been  described  before  1829, 
the  history  of  the  genus  may  be  considered  to  begin  at  that  date.  The  emi 
nent  author  of  the  Fauna  Boreali- Americana  gave  five  species  of  "Geomys" 
and  "Diplostoma."  One  of  these  is  a  true  Geomys;  the  four  remaining  ones 
(douglasii,  bulbivorum,  talpoides,  and  umbrinus),  to  which  a  fifth  (borealis) 
was  subsequently  added,  are  all  Thomomys.  These  accounts  of  Richardson's 
remained  for  many  years  the  principal,  and,  in  some  cases,  the  whole,  source 
of  what  has  been  written  upon  the  determination  of  species ;  and  they  include 
every  form  of  the  genus  known  up  to  this  date  (every  subsequent  name  pro 
posed  having  proven  a  synonym).  I  hardly  know  where  to  look  for  the 
parallel  of  this  curious  case.  Two  points  strike  one  in  reviewing  Richardson's 
work :  First,  he  had  a  wholly  erroneous  idea  that  there  were  two  distinct 
genera,  "Geomys"  and  "Diplostoma,"  in  one  of  which  the  pouches,  opening 
into  the  mouth,  dangled  naturally  as  sacks  on  each  side,  and  in  the  other 
of  which  the  pouches  were  as  we  know  them  to  be.  This  radically  wrong 
premise  vitiated  all  his  work,  and  led  him  to  the  length  of  describing  one 
and  the  same  species  as  "Geomys  douglasii"  and  "Diplostoma  bulbivorum." 
Secondly,  the  minute  descriptions  consist  mainly  of  the  repetition,  under 
varying  forms  of  expression,  of  generic  characters,  common^  of  course,  to  all 
the  species.  When  sifted  of  their  generalities,  there  is  very  little  left ;  though, 
fortunately,  such  was  this  author's  habitual  accuracy,  the  residuum  suffices, 
when  coupled  with  the  indications  of  locality,  for  the  identification  of  all  his 
species. 

As  already  stated,  there  was  little  real  change  in  the  state  of  the  case 
from  1829  to  1857,  when  Professor  Baird  reviewed  the  subject,  with  consid 
erably  more  material  and  much  more  other  information  than  Richardson 
appears  to  have  possessed.  "  Diplostoma"  had  meanwhile  been  effectually 
disposed  of;  but  to  this  author  is  due  the  credit  of  having  first  actually  iden 
tified  with  specimens  several  of  Richardson's  species,  which,  though  often 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS.  247 

re-appearing  by  name,  remained  names  only,  with  copied  or  compiled  accounts 
attached.  Professor  Baird's  only  compilation  was  in  the  case  of  Thomomys 
"  talpoides,"  which  he  did  not  claim  to  recognize.  He  examined  the  Phila 
delphia  types  of  "borealis"  and  "townsendii,"  which  Dr.  LeConte  had  already 
satisfactorily  located.  He  referred  "Diplostoma  bulbivorum"  to  the  Californian 
form,  remarking  upon  its  close  afriBity  to  T.  "douglasii,"  and  established  the 
identity  of  "umbrinus"  with  the  New  Mexican  form.  He  adopted  as  distinct 
species  the  T.  rufescens  of  Maximilian  and  T.  fulvus  of  Woodhouse,  and  added 
a  new  one,  T.  laticeps.  His  descriptions  are  like  those  of  Richardson's  in 
their  minuteness  and  accuracy,  which  leave  no  doubt  of  his  meaning,  and  the 
continual  recurrence  of  comparative  expression  favors  recognition  of  the  dis 
criminations  made ;  but,  as  in  the  former  case,  they  include  much  repetition 
of  generic  characters.  It  is  a  significant  fact,  however,  that  in  this  article 
the  author  omits  the  admirable  antithetical  tables  he  usually  gives,  and 
throughout  seems  to  have  rather  undertaken  the  identification  and  descrip 
tion  of  the  species  currently  recognized  at  the  time,  than  a  critical  revision 
of  the  subject.  Alluding  to  his  lack  of  adequate  material,  he  frankly  charac 
terizes  the  article  as  "a  very  unsatisfactory  account."  I  have  only  to  add  to 
this,  that,  as  is  well  known,  the  tendency  at  the  time  Professor  Baird's  article 
was  written  was  to  push  specific  discriminations  beyond  a  point  now  usual. 

Under  such  circumstances  as  this  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  genus 
shows  to  have  existed,  it  would  be  singular  if  some  combination  of  currently- 
recognized  species  were  not  required.  The  reduction  I  find  necessary,  and 
propose  to  make,  is  after  all  not  a  violent  one.  Holding  for  the  moment  the 
three  forms  1  shall  describe  as  geographical  races  to  be  species — and  they 
would  be  so  regarded  by  any  one  working  upon  a  moderate  number  of  speci 
mens — the  following  are  the  only  combinations  required : 

BAIRD,  1857.  COUES,  1875. 

1.  Thomomys  bulbicorus  ..  ~\  f 

2.  Thomomys  laticeps >  Pacific  coast  region <  BULBIVORCS.. 

3.  Thomomys  douglassii  ..]  \_ 

4.  Thomomys  f  borealis.   ..}  f 

5.  Thomomys  rufescens  ...  >  Northern  Interior <  TAZPOIDES .i   ~   b  •» 

6.  Thomomys  "talpoides".)  '  [ 

7.  Thomomys  umbrinus  ...  1 

>  Southern  Interior  and  Lower  California <  UMBRINCS -.—.—.— 

8.  Thomomys  fulvus J  J        ^  g.  -g 


248  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLOEADO. 

Of  these  eight  species  which  Professor  Baird  gave,  one,  "talpoides,"  is 
not  really  indentified  by  him, "as  he  only  copies  Richardson's  account;  and 
another,  borealis,  he  says  himself  he  failed  to  recognize  satisfactorily.  This 
leaves  only  six  which  he  actually  indorsed  "Borealis"  had  already  been  iden 
tified  by  LeConte  with  rufescens ;  and  the  animal  I  describe  as  "talpoides" 
is  the  same  as  his  under  another  name,  resulting  from  the  identification  with 
it  of  Richardson's  species.  Another  name  is  thus  diposed  of.  That  Wood- 
house's  "fulvus"  is  an  absolute  synonym  of  what  Baird  called  umbrinus,  I 
have  satisfied  myself  by  inspection  of  his  type-specimen.  Respecting  the 
Pacific-coast  form,  it  is  perfectly  easy  to  trace  the  complete  intergradation 
between  the  northern  (douglasi)  and  southern  (bulbivorus)  extreme.  Of 
"laticeps,"  no  second  specimen  is  known ;  some  of  the  ^external  characters 
are  altered,  apparently,  by  skinning  and  drying  after  immersion  in  alcohol. 

In  accounts  of  the  species  of  this  genus,  much  stress  has  been  laid  upon 
size  and  shape  as  distinguishing  marks,  even  by  those  who  are  fully  aware, 
not  only  of  the  high  normal  variability  in  these  respects,  but  also  of  the  pecul 
iar  susceptibility  to  overstuffing,  and  to  various  distortions  of  parts.  Nowhere 
else,  perhaps,  has  bad  taxidermy  made  such  a  break ;  it  is  responsible  for  dif 
ferent  genera,  to  say  nothing  of  various  species.  The  skin  of  the  whole  body, 

• 

like  that  of  the  pouch,  is  extremely  distensible,  and  several  inches  may  be 
added  to  the  stature  of  any  individual  by  overstuffing,  without  leaving  any 
very  obvious  trace.  The  peculiar  configuration  of  the  body  at  the  base  of  the 
tail  renders  nice  measurement  of  that  member  very  difficult.  The  feet,  par 
ticularly  the  fore  feet,  shrink  and  cramp  in  drying,  so  that  neither  their  size 
nor  their  shape  can  be  appreciated.  Upon  removal  of  the  skull,  the  mouth- 
parts  infallibly  lose  all  semblance  of  nature  in  drying.  In  Geomys,  it  is  the 
same ;  but  there  the  species  are  so  well  marked  that  the  worst  taxidermy  can 
hardly  obscure  them.  After  careful  examination  of  many  specimens,  fresh, 
alcoholic,  and  dried,  the  following  is  the  full  extent  of  the  discriminations  I 
have  been  able  to  make : 

Size. — The  Northern  Interior  form  and  the  Pacific-coast  form  are  of  the 
game  size ;  the  Southern  Interior  form  averages  an  inch  or  two  less  in  total 
length  than  the  other ;  but  large  specimens  of  the  latter,  and  small  examples 
of  the  two  former,  overlap  each  other  in  stature. 

Form. — The  Northern  Interior  race  and  the  Northern  styles  of  the  Pacific- 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS.  249 

coast  race  have  larger  fore  claws  than  the  Southern  style  of  the  Pacific-coast 
race  or  than  the  Southern  Interior  race.  The  difference  is  sufficient  to  make 
the  whole  hand  of  the  former  about  equal  to  the  foot,  while,  in  the  latter,  the 
hand  is  usually  shorter  than  the  foot.  But  this  is  only  true  as  a  rule;  there 
are  many  exceptions.  In  all  three  of  the  forms,  the  tail,  measured  from  its 
true  base,  ranges  from  one-third  ta  one-half  the  total  length  of  head  and  body, 
though  only  rarely  reaching  either  of  these  extremes.  Nothing  can  be  pred 
icated  on  this  score. 

Color. — The  .Northern  Interior  race  is  a  rat-colored  animal,  hoary-gray 
underneath,  with  white  tail  and  feet,  much  white  about  the  mouth,  and  no 
sooty-blackish  there.  The  Pacific-coast  race  is  a  rich  dark-brown  animal, 
muddy-bellied,  with  dusky  tail  and  feet,  wholly  or  in  part,  and  sooty  about  the 
mouth.  The  Southern  Interior  race  is  usually  a  rich  tawriy  or  fulvous  animal, 
with  partly  dark  tail  or  feet,  or  both,  sooty  mouth-parts,  and  white  pouches. 
This  race  is  particularly  variable  in  color ;  and,  in  every  respect  of  color,  all 
the  races  show  much  variation,  and,  moreover,  intergrade  completely. 

The  various  forms  under  which  the  genus  Thomomys  is  exhibited  may 
be  discriminated,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  by  the  following  characters : 

A.  Large.  Hind  foot  an  inch  or  more  long.  Tail  at  least 
one-third  as  long  as  head  and  body.  Above  brown, 
reddish,  &c.  Below  gray,  brown,  reddish,  &c.  (not 
white).  Ears  in  a  blackish  area  well  developed 1.  TALPOIDES. 

a.  Six  to  eight  inches  long ;  fore  claws  highly  devel 

oped  (0.45  to  0.55  long),  making  the  hand  about 
as  long  as  the  foot.  Color  of  the  house-rat, 
with  white  tail  and  feet,  and  usually  white  about 
the  mouth  and  throat ;  no  contrasts  of  dark 
color  about  the  mouth.  Northern  Interior a.  talpoides. 

b.  Seven  to  nine  inches  long ;  fore  claws  less  devel 

oped,  usually  under  0.50,  leaving  the  hand 
shorter  than  the  foot.  Reddish-brown,  the  belly 
muddy-brownish,  feet  and  tail  usually  not  en 
tirely  white ;  mouth-parts  dark,  contrasting  with 

white  of  the  pouch-lining.     Pacific  coast b.  bulbivorus. 

32  COL 


250  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

c.  Smaller  on  an  average  ;  usually  six  to  seven  inches 
long.  Fore  claws  about  0.40  or  less,  leaving 
the  hand  decidedly  shorter  than  the  foot.  Rich 
fulvous,  or  even  fawn-color,  the  same  below  but 
paler,  variously  obscured  on  the  back  with 
dusky ;  tail  and  feet  usually  dark ;  face  and 
mouth-parts  sooty-blackish,  sharply  contrasting 
with  white  pouch-lining.  Southern  Interior 

and  Lower  California ,    c.  umbrinus. 

B.  Small ;  decidedly  less  than  six  inches  long.  Hind  foot 
about  0.75 ;  fore  foot  still  less.  Tail  scarcely  one- 
fourth  as  long  as  the  head  and  body.  Above,  pallid 
yellowish-gray,  with  a  shade  of  light-brown ;  below, 
entirely  white ;  feet  and  tail  white.  Ears  minute,  not 
in  a  blackish  area.  Nose  blackish.  Bridger's  Pass, 
Rocky  Mountains 2.  CLUSIUS,  n.  s. 

THOMOMYS  TALPOIDES,  (Rich.)  Baird. 

Cricctus  talpoides,  RICH.,  Zool.  Journ.  iii,  App.  1828,  518.    (Plumbago-colored.) 

Geomys  talpoides,  RICH..  F.  B.  A.  i,  1829,  204 ;  Rep.  Brit.  Assoc.  for  1836,  v,  1837,  157.  (Same  as  the  pro- 
ceding,  but  "Florida"  assigned  wrongly  as  a  locality.) — DEKAY,  N.  Y.  Fn.  1842,  92.  (Com 
piled  from  Richardson.) — SCHINZ,  Synop.  Mamm.  ii,  1845,  137.  (Compiled  from  Rich 
ardson.) — LECONTE,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  vi,  1852, 162.  (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Saccoplwrus  talpoides,  FISCH.,  Synop.  Mamm.  1829,  588  (marked  "  388").    (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Ascomys  talpoides,  WAGN.,  Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  390.    (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Pscudostorna  talpoides,  AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1853,  43,  pi.  110.  (Compiled  from  Richardson  ;  figure 
from  the  type-specimen.) 

Geomys  (Thomomys)  talpoides,  GIKBEL,  Siiug.  1855,  530.    (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Thomomys  talpoides,  BAIRD,  M.  If.  A.  1857,  403.     (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Geomys  borealis,  RICH.,  Rep.  Brit.  Assoc.  for  1836,  v,  1837, 156.  (Named,  not  described.  "  Saskatchewan.") — 
BACHM.,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1839,  103.  (Originally  described  from  Richardson's 
type,  "Columbia  R.,"  marked  "Pseudostoma  borealis,  Rich.")— DEKAY,  N.  Y.  Fn.  1842, 
92.  (Compiled  from  Bachmau.) — SCHINZ,  Synop.  Mamm.  ii,  1845,  136.  (Compiled  from 
Bachman.) 

Ascomys  borealis,  WAGN.,  Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  391.    (Compiled.) 

Saccophorus  borealis,  GRAY,  List  Br.  Mus.  1843,  149  ("Canada;"  mere  mention,  with  some  wrong  syno- 
.  nyms).— MURIE,  P.  Z.  S.  1870,  80  (as  host  of  (Estrus). 

Pseudostoma  borealis,  "  RICH.  MSS."— AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1853,  198,  pi.  142.  (Description  and  fig 
ure  apparently  from  the  original  specimens.) 

Thomomys  borealis,  BAIRD,  Mamm.  N.  A.  1857,  396,  pi.  22,  figs.  2a-e.  (Account  from  types  of  "  borealis"  and 
"  townseudii,"  in  Mus.  Phila.  Acad.,  with  which  a  Californian  specimen,  is  considered  prob 
ably  identical.)— NEWB.,  P.  R.  R.  Rep.  vi,  1857,  59  (rests  on  the  Californian  specimen  just 
mentioned). 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  TALPOIDES.  251 

Geomya  townsvidii,  "RiCH.  MSS."— BACHM.,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pbila.  1831),  105.  ("Columbia  R." 
Described  as  distinct  from  "borealis,"  with  mucb  hesitation,  entirely  in  deference  to  Rich- 
ardson.)— RICH.,  Zool.  Voy.  Blossom,  1839,  p.  12'.— DEKAY,  N.  Y.  Fn.  1842,  92.  (Compiled 
from  Bachman.)— SCHINZ,  Synop^Mamm.  ii,  1845,  137.  (Compiled.) 

Ascomys  townsendii,  WAGN.,  Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  391. 

"  Geomys  unisulcatus,  GRAY,  Br.  Mus." — GRAY,  L  c. 

Thomomys  rufescens,  MAXIM.,  Nov.  Act.  Acad.  Cses.-Leop.  xix,  pt.  i,  1839,  3S3 ;  Arcb.  f.  Naturg.  1841,  pt.  ii, 
42  ;  ibid.  1861,  — ;  Verz.  Siiug.  N.-Am.  Reise,  1862,  149,  pi.  4,  f.  5  (penis-bone).  (In  tbe  last 
quotation,  tbe  generic  name^is  spelled  "Tomomys.")  (Missouri  region.) — SCIIINZ,  Synop. 
Mamm.  ii,  1845,  134  (exclusive  of  tbe  synonym  Oryctomys  bottce,  Eyd.  &  Gerv.).  (Com 
piled  from  Maximilian  ;  California  erroneously  assigned  as  tbe  locality.) — BAIRD,  Proc.  Acad. 
Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  vii,  1855,  335;  M.  N.  A.  1857,  397.  (Redescription  of  specimens  from 
"Nebraska,"  i.  c.,  Dakota  ;  Forts  Pierre,  Randall,  and  Union.)— BAIRD,  P.  R.  R.  Rep.  x,  1859, 
Gnuuison's  and  Beckwith's  Routes,  Manmi.  p.  8,  pi.  10,  f.  1  (tbe  same). — STEVENSON,  U.  S. 
Geol.  Surv.  Terr,  for  1870,  1871,  462  (Wyoming).— AMES,  Bull.  Minn.  Acad.  i,  1874,  70  (cata 
logued  upon  presumption  of  its  occurrence  in  Minnesota). — ALLEN,  Proc.  Boat.  Soc.  xvij, 
•  1874,  43  (Yellowstone  River) ;  Bull.  Ess.  Inst.  vi,  1874,  56,  61,  65  (rather  supposed  tban 
known  to  be  tbis  species). 

Geomys  rufcsccns,  LECONTE,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pbila.  vi,  1852, 161.  (Redescribed  from  types  of  "  bore 
alis"  and  "  townseiidii,"  in  Philadelphia  Academy,  marked  "  Columbia  River.") 

Ascomys  rufe-scens,  WAGN.,  Snppl.  Scbreb.  iii,  1843,  387. 

Geomys  (Thomomys)  rufcscens,  GIEBEL,  Sang.  1855,  530. 

Thomomys  "fulmts",  MERR.,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Terr,  for  1872,  1873,  665.  (Nee  Woodb.— Err.  test,  specim. 
ipsis.) 

DIAGNOSIS. — Coloration  almost  exactly  that  of  the  house- rat  (Mus  clecu- 
manus) — sometimes  assuming  a  more  reddish  phase,  occasionally  blackish- 
plumbeous  ;  tail  and  feet  white,  and  much  of  the  chin,  throat,  and  breast 
white  in  irregular  patches,  where  the  fur  is  white  to  the  base.  No  sooty- 
blackish  about  the  mouth-parts ;  no  obvious  distinction  in  color  between  the 
pouch  and  its  surroundings  ;  no  strongly-pronounced  reddish-brown  on  the 
under  parts  ;  general  tone  of  coloration  never  decidedly  tawny.  Ears  set  in 
a  small  blackish  area.  Length  6  to  8  inches ;  tail  3  inches  or  less,  decidedly 
less  than  half  the  length  of  head  and  body  ;  fore  and  hind  feet  (claws  included) 
approximately  equal  to  each  other,  about  1.25;  longest  fore  claw  little  less 
than  the  length  of  the  rest  of  the  hand,  about  0.50. 

HABITAT. — Supposed  to  occur  in  the  Interior  of  North  America,  from 
"Hudson's  Bay"  to  the  "Columbia  River",  and  to  occupy  about  the  northern 
half  of  the  United  States  west  of  the  Mississippi,  exclusive  of  the  Pacific- 
coast  region  ;  being  replaced,  to  the  west,  by  T.  bulbivorus,  and,  to  the  south, 
by  T.  umbrinus.  Undoubted  specimens  seen  from  Selkirk  Settlement,  British 
America ;  from  Minnesota  westward  along  the  parallel  of  49°  N.  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  from  Idaho,  Wyoming,  Utah,  and  Nevada. 

Description  (from  a  series  of  skins  taken  by  myself  along  the  northern 


252    EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

border  of  Dakota — the  details  of  external  form  checked  from  alcoholic  speci 
mens  from  Fort  Bridger ;  in  the  latter  respects,  the  account  represents  an 
amplification  of  the  generic  characters,  and  serves  as  a  standard  of  compari 
son  for  the  other  species,  in  the  account  of  which  these  full  details  need  not 
be  repeated). — So  close  is  the  general  resemblance  of  this  animal  to'Geomys 
bursarius  that,  when  the  incisors  are  not  examined,  a  second  glance  is  required 
to  distinguish  them.  The  most  obvious  points  of  difference  are  the  much 
smaller  and  weaker  fore  claws,  altogether  less  mole-like  (spade-like)  hands, 
and  the  decided  though  small  external  ears.  The  cheek-pouches  are  ample — 
if  anything,  more  capacious  than  in  Geomys  bursarius  or  tuza.  and  very 
decidedly  larger  than  in  other  species  of  that  genus.  They  extend  fairly  past 
(over)  the  shoulders  to  a  point  about  opposite  the  elbow,  when  the  fore  limb 
is  in  a  usual  position.  In  comparison  with  species  of  its  own  genus,  there  are, 
in  T.  talpoides,  absolutely  no  decided  points  of  difference  in  form.  With  very 
little  modification  in  some  details,  one  description  is  equally  applicable  to  them 
all,  excepting  T.  clusius,  in  which  there  are  tangible  distinctions. 

The  general  arrangement  of  the  mouth-parts  is  as  in  Geomys  bursarius. 
Beneath  the  whisker-patch,  on  each  side  of  the  muzzle,  about  half-way  from 
nose  to  eye,  the  fold  of  skin  arises  and  curves  loosely  around,  to  subside  again  in 
the  common  integument  over  the  posterior  angle  of  the  under  jaw.  In  a  full- 
grown  animal,  the  slit  is  an  inch  and  a  half  long ;  the  "  slack  "  of  the  edge  of  the 
pouch  may  be  pushed  an  inch  or  more  away  from  the  cheek ;  the  amplification 
of  the  sac  is  here  at  a  maximum — it  reaches  past  the  shoulder,  as  already  said, 
and,  in  a  full-grown  animal,  two  fingers  may  be  inserted  to  the  second  joint. 
The  arrangement  of  the  immediate  mouth-parts  is  such  that,  as  in.  Geomys,  the 
mouth  appears  to  be  a  vertical  fissure  instead  of  a  horizontal  one,  bounded  on 
either  side  by  thick,  fleshy,  and  hairy  lips.  This,  however,  is  only  the  vesti 
bule  of  the  mouth ;  the  buccal  orifice  proper  being  small,  closing  horizontally 
of  course,  as  usual,  remote  from  the  upper  incisors,  which  are  shut  out  com 
pletely  by  a  long,  vaulted,  hairy  interval.  The  mucous  membrane  of  the  cheeks 
only  fairly  reaches  the  edge  of  the  lips  in  a  small  patch  on  either  side,  and  ' 
iust  in  advance  of  the  under  incisors.  Besides  the  general  hairiness  of  the 
buccal  vestibule,  there  are  longer  and  more  bristly  hairs,  depending  like  a 
fringe  around  the  roots  of  the  incisors,  and  margining  the  false  lips  for  some 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  TALPOIDES.  253 

distance.*  The  upper  incisors  are  smoothly  convex  on  their  front  face,  with  a 
very  fine  line  of  impression  running  immediately  along  their  inner  margin. 
This  groove,  always  delicate  and  liable  to  be  overlooked,  is  sometimes  obsolete, 
or,  at  any  rate,  fails  to  run  the  whole  length  of  the  tooth.  The  inferior  inci 
sors  are  similar,  but  longer,  narrower,  and  with  no  sign  of  a  groove.  The 
blunt,  tumid  snout  is  entirely  hairy,  excepting  a  small  nasal  pad,  strictly  con 
fined  between  the  nostrils.  The  whiskers  are  very  numerous,  very  fine  and 
soft  bristles  (mostly  colorless),  and  the  longest  of  them  do  not  equal  the  head 
in  length.  A  few  slight  straggling  bristles  grow  over  the  eyes  and  elsewhere 
about  the  head.  The  eyes  are  situated  about  midway  between  the  nose  and 
ears;  they  are  small,  only  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  with  rather 
tumid  lids.  A  notable  peculiarity  of  the  species  of  Tho?nomys,  in  comparison 
with  Geomys,  is  the  presence  of  external  ears,  about  which  there  is  no  ques 
tion.  In  Geomys,  the  mere  rim  of  integument  warrants  use  of  the  terms 
"rudimentary"  or  "obsolete."  In  Thomomys,  there  is  a  very  evident  auricle, 
which  rises  behind,  something  like  a  quarter  of  an  inch  above  the  head;  nor 
is  it  a  mere  rim  even  of  this  decided  dimension ;  it  tapers  to  quite  a  point 
behind,  and  the  lower  border  of  the  conch  shows  a  slight  folding,  which  rep 
resents  a  rudimentary  lobule.  The  cavity  of  the  auricle  admits  the  end  of 
my  pen-holder;  the  external  meatus  itself  would  admit  a  pigeon-quill. 

In  the  general  shape  of  the  body,  there  is  nothing  but  what  is  shared  by 
all  the  species  of  the  family.  The  amplitude  of  the  pouches  is  such  that 
the  width  across  them  is  much  the  greatest  diameter  of  the  body.  The  next 
greatest  girth  is  around  the  belly ;  the  chest-measure  is  a  little  less  than  this. 
The  fore  and  hind  feet  are  as  nearly  as  may  be  of  the  same  length ;  either 
may  slightly  exceed  the  other,  the  difference  being  mainly  due  to  varying 
development  of  the  fore  claws.  These,  though  decidedly  fossorial  (a  family- 
character),  are  not  so  enormously  developed  as  in  Geomys  bursarius,  being 
decidedly  less  than  half  the  total  length  of  the  hand.  The  digits  have  the 
same  relative  lengths,  taken  either  with  or  without  their  claws :  the  3d  is 
longest,  with  the  largest  claw;  the  2d  is  next;  the  4th  next,  being  about  as 
'much  shorter  than  the  2d  as  this  is  less  than  the  3d ;  the  5th  is  abruptly 
much  shorter,  the  tip  of  its  claw  scarcely  or  not  reaching  the  base  of  the  4th 
claw ;  the  1st  is  shorter  still,  a  mere  stump,  with  a  little  knob  for  a  claw. 

*  No  idea  whatever  of  the  true  configuration  of  the  mouth-parts  in  this  family  can  be  gained  from 
dried  specimens  from  which  the  skull  and  teeth  have  been  removed. 


254  EXPLORATION  OP  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

The  longer  claws  are  much  compressed,  moderately  curved,  acute,  falcate,  or 
sharp-edged  underneath,  except  at  the  end,  where  the  sides  separate  with  a 
slight  excavation.  The  back  of  the  hand  is  moderately  pilous,  with  short, 
soft  hairs;  the  toes  being  fringed  with  rather  longer  and  more  bristly  ones. 
The  perfectly  smooth  and  naked  palm  ends  behind  in  an  immense  protuber 
ance  (as  elsewhere  in  the  family),  which  consists,  in  effect,  of  an  exterior  and 
an  interior  callosity,  united  by  a  slightly-constricted  isthmus.  This  wrist-bulb 
is  overhung  by  a  special  tuft  of  short,  bristly  hairs.  The  sole  is  naked  like 
the  palm,  but  much  narrower  and  longer  (the  equality  in  total  length  of  hand 
and  foot  being  brought  about  by  the  length  of  the  fore  claws)  ;  it  contracts 
regularly  from  before  behind,  ending  in  a  prominent  but  narrow  calcaneum. 
The  upper  surface  of  the  foot  is  hairy  like  the  back  of  the  hand.  The  3d 
digit  is  longest ;  the  2cl  and  ^th  are  subequal  to  each  other,  and  the  tips  of 
their  claws  reach  about  to  the  base  of  the  middle  claw.  The  1st  and  5th  are 
again  about  equal  to  each  other,  but  abruptly  much  shorter  than  the  others ; 
the  tips  of  their  claws  hardly  or  not  attaining  the  base  of  the  2d  and  4th 
digits.  The  hind  claws  are  of  the  same  character  as  those  of  the  hand,  but 
very  much  shorter. 

The  tail,  as  in  other  species  of  the  family,  is  surrounded  at  base  by  a 
conical  enlargement — a  prolongation  of  the  body,  haired  like  the  rest  of  the 
frame,  which,  in  the  rutting-season,  becomes  highly  tumid  underneath,  render 
ing  it  still  more  difficult  to  say  where  the  tail  actually  begins.  Measured  from 
its  true  base,  as  well  as  this  can  be  ascertained  without  dissection  (from  the 
true  base  as  far  as  external  form  is  concerned),  the  tail  is  more  than  one-third, 
but  decidedly  less  than  one-half,  of  the  length  of  head  and  body  together — 
say  about  two-fifths.  In  an  average  specimen,  7  incjies  long,  the  tail  may  be 
about  2.75.  Measured  from  where  the  long  hair  of  the  body  ceases,  or  from 
its  apparent  base,  the  tail  is  about  one-third  of  the  length  of  head  and  body. 
This  member  is  somewhat  quadrangular,  the  flattening  being  especially  notice 
able  underneath  ;  it  gradually  tapers  to  an  obtuse  tip,  and  is  pilous  throughout, 
being  clothed  with  short,  soft  hairs  like  those  covering  the  hands  and  feet. 

In  the  male  as  well  as  in  the  female,  the  genital  aperture  is  immediately 
in  front  of  the  anus.  In  the  rutting-season,  the  enlargement  of  the  parts  is 
chiefly  post-anal;  there  being  a  great  swelling  behind  the  anus,  which  carries 
the  anus  away  from  the  apparent  base  of  the  tail.  The  os  penis  is  a  slender, 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  TALPOIDES.  255 

sharp  spicule,  clubbed  at  base,  tapering  and  slightly  curved,  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  long.  In  a  female,  I  have  distinctly  made  out  twelve 
mammae,  of  which  two  pairs  are  inside  the  thigh,  two  pairs  on  the  chest,  and 
two  pairs  axillary. 

Few,  however,  if  any,  of  the  foregoing  points  are  diagnostic  of  the  spe 
cies  ;  nor  will  the  ensemble  serve-to  distinguish  it  infallibly  from  its  congeners, 
excepting  T.  dusius.  As  to  form,  the  single  character  I  notice  is  the  greater 
average  development  of  the  fore  claws,  bringing  the  length  of  the  hands  up 
to  about  that  of  the  feet.  Some  points  of  color  about  to  be  noticed  are  the 
most  reliable  distinctions.  The  animal  is  as  nearly  as  possible  like  the  house- 
rat  (Mus  decumanus}.  The  whole  upper  parts  are  of  a  uniform  grayish-brown, 
generally  quite  pure,  though  occasionally  warming  into  a  more  reddish-brown. 
But,  in  the  most  reddish  specimens,  the  tint  is  uniform,  without  the  peculiar 
mottling  or  lining  of  a  dark-brown  with  a  reddish-brown  which  constitutes 
the  richer  color  of  the  Pacific-coast  bulbivorus.  The  only  departure  from  the 
uniformity  of  the  upper  parts  is  a  small  blackish  patch,  usually  very  evident, 
in  which  the  ears  are  set.  On  the  sides  of  the  body,  the  color  gives  way 
gradually  to  the  lighter  tint  of  the  under  parts :  here  we  find  the  plumbeous 
of  the  roots  of  the  hairs  as  a  background  to  a  hoary-grayish,  resulting  from 
the  tips  of  the  hairs.  This  hoary  is  usually  quite  pure,  but  it  sometimes 
takes  on  an  appreciably  muddy-brown  tinge,  still  never  equaling,  as  far  as 
known,  the  richer  fulvous-brown  which  tones  the  under  parts  in  the  coast 
form.  The  tail  and  feet  are  white  in  every  specimen  I  have  seen ;  and,  besides 
this,  there  are  usually  patches  about  the  mouth,  cheeks,  throat,  and  breast, 
where  the  fur  is  pure  white  to  the  roots.  But  these  white  markings  are 
wholly  indeterminate  in  extent,  as  well  as  inconstant  in  appearing  at  all;  in 
many  cases,  the  parts  are  concolor  with  the  rest  of  the  under  surface.  Per 
haps  the  strongest  color-mark  of  the  species  is  the  absence  from  any  part  of 
the  head  of  sooty-blackish  or  even  dusky  areas,  there  being  no  noticeable  con 
tracts  of  color  between  the  mouth-parts  and  pouches ;  whereas,  in  T.  bulbi 
vorus,  and,  still  more  so,  in  umbrinus,  these  parts  are  dusky,  or  even  coal-black, 
contrasting  sharply  with  the  pure-white  linings  of  the  pouches.  The  whiskers 
are  mostly  colorless;  the  claws  are  colorless,  though  usually  stained  with 
extravasated  blood. 

Northern  Dakotan  and  Minnesota!!  specimens  may  be  taken  to  represent 


256 


EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


the  extreme  of  this  race  as  above  described,  characterized  by  the  purity, of 
the  gray  and  brown  shades,  absence  of  any  decided  reddish  cast,  and  pure- 
white  feet,  tail,  and  throat.  Specimens  from  Selkirk  Settlement  and  the 
Assiniboine  region  are  identical.  Others,  from  Idaho,  Nevada,  and  Utah,  arc 
too  nearly  similar  to  admit  of  any  intelligible  noting  of  differences;'  though, 
as  might  be  expected,  there  is  a  slight  tendency  to  the  characters  of  bulbi- 
vorus. 

A  few  specimens  before  me  from  Southern  and  Western  Dakota,  being 
those  that  Baird  referred  to  "  rufescens,"  with  one  from  California,  which  he 
placed  under  "borealis,"  and  one  lately  received  from  Fort  Benton,  Montana, 
are  more  decidedly  reddish-brown  than  any  of  the  above.  They  are  unques 
tionably  exactly  what  Maximilian  called  "rufescens."  They  are  all  consider 
ably  smaller  than  average  talpoides ;  and,  if  I  could  satisfy  myself  that  they 
were  full-grown,  something  more  would  have  to  be  said  upon  the  subject.  As 
it  is,  however,  I  can  make  out  no  satisfactory  distinctions  from  ordinary 
talpoides.  There  are  only  five  or  six  of  these  small  rufous  specimens  before 
me ;  fuller  series  may  indicate  some  tangible  distinctions. 

The  following  measurements  indicate  the  average  dimensions,  and,  to 
some  extent,  the  variation,  of  this  species : 


Current  number. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

From  tip  of  nose  to  — 

Tail  to  end  of  ver 
tebrae. 

Length  of  — 

Lougest  fore  claw. 

Nature  of 
specimen. 

6 
>> 
W 

ti 

a 
W 

Occiput. 

'rt 
H 

•u 

O 

£ 

o 
t-l 
o 
Pn 

•Ip 

O 

1 

fv3 

i 

11515 
11517 
11518 
11520 
11522 

Souris  River,  Dakota  
Peinbiua,  Dakota  .  .  

X 

9 
$ 
$' 
$ 

1.00 
0.  75 
0.90 
0.90 
0.95 

l.GO 
1.40 
l.GO 
1.50 
l.CO 

1.75 

1.60 
1.70 
1.90 
1.80 

7.00 
6.25 
7.50 
7.25 
7.00 

2.50 
2.75 
2.50 
2.75 
2.60 

1.25 
1.15 
1.20 
1.25 
1.25 

1.25 
1.25 
1.20 
1.20 
1.20 

0.55 
0.55 
0.  50 
0.45 
0.55 

Fresh. 
Fresh. 
Fresh. 
Fresh. 
Fresh. 

Pembina.  Dakota  .  

Pe  uibina,  Dakota.  

Pembina,  Dakota  .  

NOTE. — The  foregoiug  specimens,  all  adult,  taken  the  same  season  ( Juue  to  September,  1873),  were 
carefully  measured  in  the  flesh  by  myself.  Other  specimens,  from  the  same  region,  not  measured  in  the 
flesh,  carry  the  limits  of  total  length  from  about  6  to  a.bout  8  inches,  with  a  corresponding  range  of  vari 
ation  in  other  parts.  The  tail  is  taken  from  its  true  base — it  appears  about  half  an  inch  shorter  in  the 
dried  state.  The  weight  of  these  specimens  ranges  from  6  to  7  ounces.  The  girth  of  the  chest  is  about 
5  inches ;  of  the  belly,  6.50.  No.  11517,  9  ,  has  12  teats — 2  pairs  axillary,  2  pairs  pectoral,  2  pairs  inguinal 
When  fully  distended,  m  the  fresh  state,  the  width  across  the  check-pouches  is  the  greatest  diameter  of 
the  body. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  TALPOIDES.  257 

Distribution. — The  most  northern  specimen  I  have  seen  is  from  the 
Assiniboine  River;  the  species  is  supposed  to  range  from  Hudson's  Bay  to 
the  Rocky  Mountains  in  British  America  (northern  limit  unknown).  In  the 
United  States,  I  have  specimens  from  Minnesota,  Dakota,  Montana,  Idaho, 
Nebraska,  Wyoming,  Nevada,  and  Utah.  The  southern  limit  is  likewise 
unknown,  but  inferred  to  be  somewhere  along  the  middle  of  the  United 
States.  Its  range,  probably,  does  not  inosculate  with  that  of  T.  umbrinus;  at 
any  rate,  I  have  seen  nothing  intermediate  in  character  from  anywhere  in  the 
Interior.  The  approach  to  umbrinus  seems  to  be  only  made  in  the  Pacific 
province,  through  bulbivorus.  Talpoides  exists  fairly  westward  of  the  main 
chains  of  the  Rocky  Mountains;  but  no  Tliomomys  of  this  style  is  known  from 
immediate  Pacific  slopes.  It  meets  and  inosculates  with  the  Northern  style 
of  bulbivorus  ("douglasi")  in  the  Columbia  River  region. 

Synonymy. — The  name  "talpoides,''  coupled  with  various  generic  terms, 
is  of  frequent  appearance  in  works  on  natural  history;  but,  so  far  as  I  know, 
everything  relating  to  it  is  pure  compilation,  the  species  never  having  been 
hitherto  actually  identified.  The  sole  advance  upon  Richardson's  original 
accounts  is  Audubon's  figure  of  the  type-specimen.  A  difficulty  in  the  way 
of  identifying  Richardson's  animal  seems  to  have  been  an  expression  he  used 
with  regard  to  the  number  of  digits.  But  it  is  morally  certain  that  no  such 
difference  exists  in  the  genus  Thomomys.  In  some  other  cases,  as  in  Muridce 
and  Sciuridce,  strict  interpretation  of  Richardson's  remarks  in  this  regard 
would  throw  his  species  out  of  the  question ;  for  he  speaks  more  than  once 
of  four  perfect  digits,  and  a  rudimentary  one,  as  in  this  very  case.  The 
diagnosis  in  the  Fn.  Bor.-Am.  is:  "grayish-black,  with  white  chin,  throat,  and 
tail,  and  only  four  perfect  toes  on  the  hind  feet."  The  expression  "cinera- 
scenti-niger''  is  no  obstacle;  for  here,  as  in  the  genus  Geomys,  there  is  a 
plumbago-state  of  pelage.  The  "white  chin,  throat,  and  tail"  are  diagnostic, 
in  fact,  of  the  animal  I  here  describe,  and  inapplicable  to  any  other.  These 
facts,  especially  when  coupled  with  the  locality  assigned  (Hudson's  Bay), 
leave  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  this  is  the  species  indicated  by  Richardson. 
Furthermore,  Audubon's  figure  from  Richardson's  type  is  an  unusually  faith 
ful  representation.  I  consider  this  point  established. 

The. next  names  in  point  of  date  are  ''borealis"  and  "townsendii,"  both 
33  COL 


258  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

described,  in  1839,  by  Dr.  Bachman,  from  Richardson's  MSS.,  upon  speci 
mens  in  the  Philadelphia  Academy,  said  to  be  from  the  "Columbia  River.'' 
These  two  names  may  be  treated  together,  as  they  are  unquestionably  the 
same.  These  specimens,  apparently,  were  figured  by  Audubon;  the  plate  is 
too  highly  colored,  the  richness  of  the  tint  there  represented  being  only 
matched  in  strong  cases  ofumbrinus;  but  exactly  the  same  wrong  tawny  col 
oration  is  on  the  same  author's  plate  of  "douglasii,"  and  need  not  stand  in 
the  least  in  the  way  of  the  identification  which  I  make.  The  same  original 
specimens  were  taken  by  Dr.  LeConte  as  the  basis  of  his  Geomys  rufescens, 
and  were  examined  by  Professor  Baird,  who  failed  to  see  any  decided  differ 
ence  from  "  douglasi."  I  have  not  taken  occasion  to  handle  these  specimens 
myself;  but  Dr.  Bachman's  original  description  gives  nothing  incompatible 
with  the  characters  of  the  present  species,  and  the  balance  of  his  account 
inclines  here.  From  the  locality,  it  is  most  likely  that  these  specimens  are 
more  or  less  intermediate  between  pure  talpoides  and  " douglasi."  It  becomes, 
in  fact,  a  matter  of  indifference  whether  we  allocate  the  quotations  of 
''borealis"  here  or  under  the  next  head. 

Respecting  the  T.  rufescens  of  Maximilian,  I  have  nothing  to  add  to 
what  has  been  already  said.  "Geomys  unisulcatus"  of  Gray,  apparently  only 
a  museum-name,  is  here  assigned  by  the  author  himself.  The  specimens  col 
lected  by  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  of  the  Territories,  catalogued 
by  Mr.  Merriam  as  "fulvus,''  belong  here,  as  I  ascertain  by  inspection. 

THOMOMYS  TALPOIDES  BULBIVORUS,  (Rich.)  Coues. 

Diplostomal  lulbivorum,  RICH.,  F.  B.  A.  i,  1829,  206,  pi.  18  B  (lettered  douglasii  by  mistake). — EICII.,  Zool. 

Voy.  Blossom,  1839,  pp.  9  and  13.* 

Ascomys  bulbivorus,  WAGN.,  Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  387.    (Compiled.) 
Geomys  bulbivorus,  DEKAY,  N.  Y.  Fu.  1842,  92.     (Compiled  from  Bichardson.) — SCHINZ,  Syn.  Mamm.  ii, 

1845,  135.     (Compiled;  quotes  D.  "  bulbiferum "  ;  gives  wrong  locality). — LECOXTK,  Proc. 

Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1852,  162.    (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Pseudostoma  bulbivorum,  AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1854,  337.     (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 
Geomys  (Thomomys)  bulbivorus,  GIEB.,  Siiug.  1855,  530.    (Compiled  from  Richardson  ) 
Thomomys  bulbivorus,  BAIRD,  M.  N.  A.  1857,  389,  pi.  50,  f.  3  a-g,  and  pi.  52,  f.  I  a-y.    (Identifies  the 

common  Californian  animal  with  this  species  of  Richardson's,  and  minutely  describes  it.) — 

BAIRD,  P.  R.  R.  Rep.  x,  1859,  Williamson's  Route,  Mamm.  82.     (Tejou,  Cal.)— KENNERLY, 

P.  R.  R.  Rep.  x,  1859,  Whipple's  Route,  Mamm.  13,  pi.  11.    (California.)— GERR.,  Cat.  Bones 

Brit.  Mus.  1862,  223.     (California.) 
Oryctomys  (Saccophorus)  bottce,   EYD.  &  GERV.,  Mag.  de   Zool.  vi,  1836,  23,  pi.  21,  f.  4  (teeth);   Voy. 

Favorite,  v,  1839,  23,  pi.  8,  f.  4  (same). 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  BULBIVOEUS.          259 

Thomomt/s  J»)Ha;  LKSS.,  Nouv.  Man.  R.  Aniiii.  1842,  119.    (Compiled.) — BAIRD,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila. 

1855,  335.     (Subsequently  identified  the  same  with  bulbivorua.) 
(icomys  fttliginosus,  Scuixz,  Syn.  Manim.  ii,  1845,  136.      (Based  on  douglasi;  name  altered  for  no  good 

reason.) 
Thomomys  laticeps,  BAIRD,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1855,  335;  M.  N.  A.  1857,  392.    (Huiuboldt  Bay.)— 

KENN.,  P.  R.  R.  Rep.  x,  1859,  Whipple's  Route.  Mamm.  13,  pi.  12,  f.  1  (by  error  marked 

"2"  in  text).    (Same  as  the  foregoing.) 
Geomys  douglasii,   RICH.,  F.  B.  A.  i,  1829,  200,   pi.  18  C,  ff.  1-6  (skull) ;   Zool.  Voy.  Blossom,  1839,  9. 

(Near  mouth  of  Columbia;  Fort  Vancouver.) — LECOXTE,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1852, 

162.     (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Geomys  douglasi,  DsKAY,  N.  Y.  Fn.  1842,  92.     (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 
Ascomys  dougiasii,  WAGX.,  Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  392.     (Compiled.) 
Pseudostoma  dougiasii,  AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1853,  24,  pi.  105  (altogether  too  brightly  colored). 

(Mainly  compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Gcotnys  (Tliomomys)  douglasi,  GIEBEL,  Siiug.  1855,  531.     (Compiled.) 
TlwiHomys  douglassii,  BAIRD,  M.  N.  A.  1857,  394.    (Minute  description  of  specimens  from  Washington  and 

Oregon  Territories.)— SUCKL.,  P.  R.  R.  Rep.  xii,  1860,  pt.  ii,  pp.  100, 126. 

DIAGNOSIS. — ^Coloration  heavier  than  in  the  foregoing ;  general  cast 
reddish-brown,  lined  with  dusky  on  the  back;  the  head  usually  darker  than 
the  rest  of  the  upper  parts ;  on  the  sides,  the  color  giving  way  to  a  clearer 
tawny-brown,  which  occupies  the  belly  also,  there  overlying  the  plumbeous 
roots  of  the  fur  as. a  strong  wash.  Face  and  mouth-parts  dusky,  or  even 
sooty-blackish,  contrasting  with  the  white  lining  of  the  pouches.  No  pure 
white  on  the  under  parts.  Tail  and  feet  usually  incompletely  whitish,  or 
quite  dusky.  If  anything  averaging  rather  larger  than  true  talpoides.  Hand 
rather  shorter  than  the  foot,  owing  to  less  development  of  the  claws,  which 
are  only  about  0.40  long. 

HABITAT. — Pacific  coast  and  slopes  of  the  United  States,  from  Washing 
ton  Territory  to  Southern  California. 

Description  (from  San  Francisco  specimens). — Having  already  sufficiently 
insisted  upon  the  fact  that  there  is  no  decided  difference  in  size  or  shape- 
between  this  form  and  the  last,  beyond  an  average  less  development  of  the 
fore  claws,  there  is  little  to  be  said  by  way  of  description,  except  to  amplify 
the  foregoing  points  of  coloration.  The  extreme  of  the  bulbivorus  branch 
of  this  species  is  readily  recognized  by  a  warmth  and  intensity  of  coloration 
not  known  to  occur  in  specimens  from  the  Northern  Interior.  The  color 
varies  a  great  deal  in  different  specimens,  but  is  never  like  the  clear  mouse- 
gray  seen  in  talpoides.  It  is  in  reality  an  intimate  mixture  of  yellowish-brown 
and  dark-brown  or  blackish.  Above,  the  pointing  of  the  fur  conceals  the 
plumbeous  bases  of  the  hairs;  below,  this  plumbeous  shows,  overlaid  with  a 


260  EXPLOITATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

strong  wash  of  tawny  or  muddy-brown,  quite  unlike  the  hoary-gray  of  the 
same  parts  of  talpoides.  The  under  surface  is  not  known  to  be  varied  with 
patches  of  white,  nor  is  there  any  white  about  the  mouth,  excepting  the 
immediate  border  of  the  lips.  On  the  contrary,  the  mouth-parts  are  sooty 
or  dusky,  contrasting  with  the  white  which  lines  the  cheek-pouches.  This 
is  very  much  as  in  umbrinus,  and  quite  different  from  talpoides.  The  hands 
and  feet  are  sometimes  white,  as  in  talpoides,  but  oftener  merely  whitish,  and 
not  seldom  dusky.  I  have  not  seen  the  tail  pure  white ;  it  is  generally  dark- 
colored  for  the  most  part,  often  wholly  so.  The  fore  claws  average  about 
0.40 — rather  less  than  more. 

Such  is  the  typical  manifestation  of  this  form,  which  I  have  only  seen 
from  California.  We  have  next  to  trace  the  change  by  insensible  degrees 
into  both  talpoides  and  umbrinus.  Proceeding  up  the  Pacific  coast,  we  find 
an  animal  still  like  bulbivorus  in  the  general  tone  of  coloration  (warm-brown 
above  and  muddy-bellied),  but  in  which  the  mouth-parts  have  nearly  or 
entirely  lost  their  sootiness.  Here,  also,  the  fore  claws  enlarge  somewhat, 
and  from  this  state  it  is  but  a  step  to  the  grayer  true  talpoides,  which  joins 
with  douglasi  in  the  interior  of  Oregon  and  Washington.  In  the  interior 
of  California,  the  opposite  modification  begins,  tending  toward  umbrinus, 
which  becomes  fully  established  in  Arizona  and  New  Mexico.  Here  the 
dark  mouth-parts  are  preserved  and  even  intensified,  but  the  color  grows 
richer  till  a  decidedly  tawny  or  fulvous  cast  is  the  result.  Various  specimens 
from  Fort  Crook  and  Fort  Tejon,  and  from  Provo,  Utah,  are  of  this  ambig 
uous  sort,  and  exhibit  among  themselves  such  variations  that  their  labeling 
becomes  a  matter  of  indifference.  Some  of  the  browner  ones  are  not 
separable  at  all  from  bulbivorus,  while  the  ruddiness  of  others  matches  that 
of  true  fulvus.  The  gradation  of  the  two  forms  in  this  region  is  demonstrable 
complete.  Some  other  specimens  from  Fort  Crook  are  absolutely  identical 
with  Steilacoom  ones  in  respect  of  color;  the  only  difference  I  can  note  being 
the  somewhat  weaker  claws.  To  the  southward,  on  the  coast,  the  same 
gradation  occurs,  becoming  established  about  San  Diego,  In  Lower  Cali 
fornia,  pure  umbrinus  prevails. 

A  San  Franciscan  specimen  lately  received  at  the  Smithsonian  is  a 
perfect  albino — snow-white  all  over. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  UMBRINUS.  261 

Little  further  discussion  of  the  synonymy  of  this  form  is  required  than 
is  implied  in  what  has  already  been  said.  Professor  Baird  appears  to  have 
first  satisfactorily  identified  the  Diplostojna  bulbivorum  of  Richardson  with 
the  animal  subsequently  described  as  Oryctomys  bottce  by  Eydoux  and  Gervais. 
Preceding  authors'  use  of  the  name  had  been  altogether  compilation.  Schinz's 
name  is  a  synonym  upon  its  face^being  a  mere  renaming  of  the  same  animal. 
The  T.  laticeps  was  based  upon  the  individual  peculiarities  of  a  single  speci 
men,  the  characters  of  which  are  more  or  less  obscured  by  drying  after 
immersion  in  alcohol. 

THOMOMYS  TALPOIDES  UMBRINUS,  (Rich.)  Coues. 

Gcomys  umbrinus,  RICH.,  F.  B.  A.  i,  1829,  202;  Rep.  Brit.  Assoc.  for  1836,  v,  1837,  157.  "  Cadadaguios, 
Southwestern  Louisiana"— more  likely  Texas.* — WATERH.,  Charlesw.  Mag.  N.  H.  iii,  1839, 
596,  f.  71  (skull).— DEKAY,  N.  Y.  Fn.  1842,  92.  (Compiled  from  Richardson.)— SCHENZ, 
Syn.  Mamm.  ii,  1845,  137.  (Compiled  from  Richardson.) — LEG.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila. 
1852, 162.  (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 

Ascomys  umbrinus,  WAGN.,  Suppl.  Schreb.  iii,  1843,  389.    (Compiled.) 
Pseudostoma  umbrinus,  AUD.  &  BACH.,  iii,  1854,  307.     (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 
Geomys  (Thomomys)  umbrinus,  GIEB.,  Sang.  1855,  530.    (Compiled  from  Richardson.) 
Thomomt/8  umbrinus,  BAIRD,  M.  N.  A.  1857,  399  (redescribed  from  numerous  New  Mexican  specimens). — 
BAIRD,  U.  S.  Mex.  B.  Survey,  ii,  pt.  ii,  1859,  Mamm.  p.  — . — GERR.,  Cat.  Bones  Br.  Mus. 
1862,  228. 
Geomys  fulvus,  WOODH.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1852,  201  (San  Francisco  Mountains,  Arizona) ;  Rep. 

Expl.  Zufii  and  Colorado  R.  1853,  51,  pi.  5  (the  same). 

P.teudostoma  (Geomys)  fulvus,  AUD.  &  BACH.,  Q.  N.  A.  iii,  1854,  300.    (Copied  from  Woodhouse.) 
TJiomomys  fulvus,  BAIRD,  M.  N.  A.  1857,  402.    (Describes  Woodhouse's  type,  and  other  specimens,  from 
California.) — BAIRD,  U.  S.  Mex.  Bound.  Surv.  ii,  pt.  ii,  1859,  Mamm.  p.  — . — KENN.,  P.  R.  R. 
Rep.  x,  1859,  Whipple's  Route,  Maniin.  14,  pi.  12,  f.  2.— COUES,  Am.  Nat.  i,  1867,  394 
(habits).— COUES,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1867,  135  (Fort  Whipple,  Arizona). 

DIAGNOSIS. — Averaging  decidedly  smaller  than  either  of  the  foregoing. 

• 

Length  of  head  and  body  about  six  inches,  rarely  seven.  Fore  feet  averaging 
decidedly  less  than  the  hind  feet ;  longest  claw  oftener  under  than  over  0.40. 
Color  variable,  from  a  nearly  uniform  rich  fawn-color  all  over,  or  even  intense 
reddish-chestnut,  to  various  tawny-brown  shades,  with  or  without  a  blackish 
dorsal  area.  Belly  merely  a  paler  shade  of  the  color  of  the  upper  parts,  or 
much  as  described  under  bulbivorus.  Occasionally  quite  gray,  much  as  in 
typical  talpoides.  (Variety  :  lustrous  coal-black  all  over.)  Mouth-parts,  and 
often  whole  face,  blackish,  except  sometimes  immediately  around  the  lips, 

*  The  probability  is  heightened  by  the  Spanish  appearance  of  the  name,  as  if  a  corruption  of 
Ciudad  dc  Aguas,  "City  of  the  Waters."  The  locality  is  now  unknown.  "Louisiana"  was  formerly  a 
vague  term. 


262  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

strongly  contrasting  with  the  white  lining  of  the  pouch.  Tail  usually  more 
or  less  like  the  body. 

HABITAT. — South  Colorado,  Southern  Utah  and  Southern  Nevada,  West 
ern  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  Lower  California  to  Cape  Saint  Lucas. 
Southward  extension  into  Mexico  undetermined.  "Louisiana.'' 

Description  (from  extensive  series  from  the  above  localities). — No  other 
form  of  the  genus  varies  so  much  in  color  as  this  one.  With  the  increase  in 
intensity  and  richness  of  coloration  of  the  genus  to  the  southward,  there  is 
'a  corresponding  ratio  of  variation  to  or  from  what  may  be  held  the  normal 
mean.  Selecting  average  samples,  as,  for  instance,  some  I  collected  at  Fort 
Whipple,  Arizona,  in  1864-'65,  we  observe  a  very  rich  tawny  or  fulvous 
pelage,  more  or  less  obscured  on  the  back  by  a  blackish  area.  The  under 
parts  are  of  the  same  color,  paler  or  of  about  equal  intensity,  with  the  deep 
plumbeous  bases  of  the  hairs  showing.  The  ears  are  set  in  a  small  blackish 
area ;  the  face,  and,  to  a  less  extent,  the  top  of  the  head,  are  blackish,  with 
or  without  white  spots  on  the  lips  or  chin,  contrasting  strongly  with  the 
white  lining  of  the  pouches.  The  feet  are  indifferently  whitish  or  dusky ; 
and  more  or  less  of  the  tail  is  usually  colored. 

Other  specimens,  by  the  extinction  of  the  blackish  dorsal  area,  become 
nearly  concolor  all  over,  and  of  so  rich"  a  hue  as  to  almost  bear  the  term 
golden-brown.  There  is  a  great  similarity  in  many  cases  to  the  coloration 
of  Jaculus  hudsonius  or  Arv'icola  aureola.  The  best-marked  samples  of  this 
style  before  me  are  from  Southern  Arizona  and  Cape  Saint  Lucas,  where  this 
appears  to  prevail.  Dr.  Woodhouse's  type  of  "  fulvus"  is  entirely  of  this  color 
above,  with  nearly  white  belly.  Specimens  from  the  Colorado  Valley  exhibit 
another  style  of  coloration  in  their  extreme  pallor,  from  the  bleaching  of 
fulvous  into  a  pale  brownish-yellow,  and  with  whitish  belly.  A  specimen 
from  "Sonora"  (rather  Southern  Arizona,  as  now  bounded)  is  dark-cinnamon 
or  chestnut-red,  with  blackish  dorsal  area.  More  northerly  specimens  tend 
to  grayer  tints  ;  but  this  grayishness  has  a  plumbeous  cast,  and  is  suffused  on 
the  sides  with  tawny.  The  belly  in  these  cases  is  as  purely  hoary-gray  as  in 
typical  talpoides]  and  one  specimen,  from  Fort  Massachusetts,  is  exactly  rat- 
colored,  and  indistinguishable  from  pure  talpoidcs,  except  in  being  smaller, 
though  it  is  apparently  very  old.  In  this  specimen,  too,  the  characteristic 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  CLUSIUS.  263 

markings  of  the  mouth-parts  and  pouches  are  much  obscured,  and  the  fore 
claws  are  fully  as  long  as  in  some  northern  examples  of  talpoides.  Half- 
grown  specimens,  as  elsewhere  in  the  family,  are  lead-colored,  merely  paler 
below. 

A  melanistic  specimen  from  Cantonment  Burgwyn,  New  Mexico,  is  a 
uniform,  intense,  lustrous  plumbago  color  (almott  like  anthracite  coal),  with 
white  lips  and  pouches. 

In  this  form,  which  exhibits  such  variation  as  well  as  intensity  of  color, 
we  observe  more  clearly  than  elsewhere  the  changes  produced  in  the  shed 
ding  and  renewal  of  the  pelage.  It  seems  to  be  the  rule  in  this  genus,  as 
in  Geomys,  that  the  hair  is  cast  from  before  backward  by  a  regular  progression. 
As  already  hinted,  the  animals  appear  to  grow  gray  with  age ;  but,  besides 
this,  each  annual  or  seasonal  coat  seems  to  lose  its  richness  of  coloration 
toward  the  time  that  it  is  to  fall  off,  and  the  fresh  coat  comes  out  more 
heavily  tinted.  It  results  from  this,  in  connection  with  the  peculiar  mode 
of  shedding,  that  patchy  specimens  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  with  a  sharp 
line  of  demarkation  between  differently-colored  areas  (Geomys  castanops  is 
a  notable  case  of  this).  Some  examples  before  me  are,  in  fact,  strong 
"umbrinus"  in  front  and  very  fair  "bulbivorus"  behind.  Season,  as  well  as 
age,  doubtless  influences  the  color  of  the  pelage,  but  exactly  to  what  extent 
I  am  unable  to  say,  owing  to  the  usual  oversight  of  collectors  in  neglecting 
to  date  their  labels. 

The  geographical  distribution  of  the  species,  as  far  as  now  known,  is 
indicated  in  a  preceding  paragraph.  The  original  locality  given  for  umbrinus 
has  not  been  checked  by  subsequent  accounts,  and  is  probably  somewhat  out 
of  the  way ;  Texas  or  New  Mexico  being  more  likely  the  source  of  the  type- 
specimen  described  by  Richardson.  I  see  no  occasion  to  question  Baird's 
identification  of  the  species,  with  which  the  Geomys  fulvus  of  Woodhouse  is 
indisputably  identical. 

THOMOMYS  CLUSIUS,  Coues,  nov.  sp. 

SP.  CHAR. — Smallest  known  species  of  the  genus.  Length  (9,  adult) 
about  5  inches.  Feet  remarkably  small ;  sole  of  hind  foot  0.75 ;  palm  of 
hand,  including  longest  claw,  0.65.  Fore  claws  small,  weak,  little  curved,  the 


264     EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

longest  under  0.30.  Incisors  as  usual  in  the  genus.  Muzzle  almost  entirely 
hairy,  with  a  very  small  naked  pad  confined  between  the  nostrils.  Pouches 
ample,  about  1.75  deep  (measured  from  the  beginning  of  the  fold  of  skin  at 
the  side  of  the  snout).  Tail  extremely  short;  under  1.50  in  length  from  the 
true  base,  and  little  over  1.00  from  the  end  of  the  conical  enlargement  at 
base ;  the  thinly-haired  portion  being  thus  less  than  one-fourth  the  total  length 
of  head  and  body.  Ears  minute.  Color  above  pale  yellowish-gray,  with  a 
slight  light-brown  shade ;  the  fur  plumbeous  at  base,  as  usual.  Below,  nearly 
pure  white,  the  fur  being  mostly  of  this  color  to  the  very  base.  No  dark 
auricular  area.  Feet  and  tail  white.  Extremity  of  snout  blackish.  Claws 
and  whiskers  colorless.  Incisors  faced  with  orange. 

HABITAT. — The  single  specimen  of  the  species  at  present  known,  No. 
3051,  Museum  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  was  taken  at  Bridgcr's  Pass, 
Rocky  .Mountains,  July  28,  1857,  by  Dr.  W.  A.  Hammond. 

With  only  one  specimen  to  go  upon,  there  is  little  to  be  added  to  the 
foregoing  diagnosis.  That  the  small  size  is  not  due  to  immaturity  is  evi 
denced  by  the  fact  that  the  specimen  is  a  female,  with  functionally-developed 
teats,  which  had  been  in  use.  As  well  as  I  can  determine  from  the  dried 
skin,  there  are  twelve  mammae,*  situated  as  in  T.  talpoides.  In  its  present 
state,  somewhat  stretched,  the  skin  measures  about  5J  inches  from  nose  to 
root  of  tail.  The  general  dimensions,  as  well*  as  the  relative  and  absolute 
length  of  tail  and  the  proportions  of  the  feet,  are  all  quite  beyond  the  utmost 
limit  of  variation  determined  for  any  other  form  of  Thomomys.  It  may  give 
an  idea  of  the  smallness  of  the  feet  to  say  that  the  hind  ones  are  no  larger 
than  those  of  the  white-footed  mouse  (Hesperomys  leucopus);  they  are  a 
trifle  broader,  but  not  quite  so  long.  The  fore  feet  are  decidedly  shorter  than 
the  hinder  ones,  owing  to  the  slight  development  of  the  slender  weak  claws. 
The  ears  are  minute — scarcely  larger,  comparatively,  than  in  a  Geomys,  though 
the  tiny  auricle  has  the  recognizable  shape  of  Thomomys,  instead  of  being  a 
mere  tumid  rim.  The  tail,  as  well  as  can  be  guessed  from  the  present  dried 
state,  is  less  than  a  fourth  as  long  as  the  head  and  body,  measured  from  its 
apparent  base.  All  these  characters  are  utterly  incompatible  with  any  variety 

*  This  appears  to  be  the  normal  number  in  this  genus ;  but,  in  an  alcoholic  specimen  of  talpoides, 
with  the  fur  all  gone  from  the  belly,  completely  exposing  the  parts,  I  can  find  but  eight ;  the  two  axillary 
pairs  being  wanting. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— T.  CLUSIDS.  265 

of  talpoides  and  its  conspecies  I  know  of.  The  color  is  equally  diagnostic. 
We  miss  the  peculiar  blackish  area  in  which  the  ears  of  all  other  Thomomys 
are  set,  and  we  find  instead  a  blackish  snout.  The  pallid  yellowish-gray  of 
the  upper  parts  is  as  different  from  any  of  the  interminable  variations  of  color 
of  other  Thomomys  as  that  of  Geomys  castanops  in  comparison  with  G.  bursa- 
rius.  The  whiteness  of  the  fur_to  the  very  roots,  on  the  under  parts,  is  a 
striking  character. 

The  specimen  was  procured  in  a  region  where  the  true  talpoides  is  also 
found  in  abundance. 

It  seems  to  be  the  fortune  of  monographers  who  have  found  it  necessary 
to  reduce  various  species  previously  established  to  geographical  races  or  mere 
synonyms,  that  they  should  have  at  the  same  time  new  ones  of  their  own  to 
propose.  But  I  see  no  help  for  this.  New  species  are  not,  to  me,  the  alto 
gether  desirable  things  they  seem  to  some ;  and  my  growing  dislike  to  find 
them  out  keeps  pace  with  my  increasing  knowledge  of  our  ignorance  respect 
ing  old  species ;  nevertheless,  there  is  no  escape  from  them  at  present,  at  fre 
quent  intervals,  and  of  course  the  sooner  they  are  all  indexed  binomially  the 
better.  Having  no  material  for  the  further  elucidation  of  the  characters  of 
Thomomys  clusius,  I  may  close  with  the  remark  that,  if  the  unique  specimen 
is  not  a  pure  "sport,"  it  is  a  perfectly  good  species. 

The  name  chosen  for  this  species  commemorates  a  peculiar  trait  of  the 
whole  family  Geomyidce — their  remarkable  and  not  generally  known  habit  of 
plugging  up  the  numerous  openings  of  their  extensive  subterranean  tunnels. 
This  name,  in  connection  with  several  others,  completes  a  sort  of  epitome  of 
the  history  of  the  family.  They  are  underground  animals  (Geomys)  that 
throw  up  heaps  of  earth  (,9-oyuo?,  a  pile — Thomomys}  and  close  the  entrances 
of  their  excavations  (clusius) ;  they  are  mole-like  in  many  respects  (talpoides)  ; 
they  are  peculiarly  provided  with  pouches  (bursarius)  ;  and  they  feed  on  roots 
(bullrivorus] 

34  COL, 


ADDENDUM    A. 


THE  CRANIAL  AND  DENTAL  CHARACTERS  OF  GEOMYHXaS. 

[Reprinted,  with  some  modification,  from  the  Bulletin  of  the  United  States 
Geological  and  Geographical  Survey  of  the  Territories,  2d  series,  No.  2, 
pp.  81-90,  published  May  11,  1875.] 

1-10-04-4.    _5-5__10_2 
L  "f  JL'---2 


In  its  massiveness  and  angularity,  the  skull  of  the  Geomyidce  differs  alto 
gether  from  that  of  the  Saccomyidce,  in  which  the  cranium  is  singularly  papery 
and  bullous,  with  few  angles;  and  it  quite  closely  resembles  an'  arvicoline 
type.  The  jaws  are  remarkably  strong  ;  the  incisors  immense  ;  the  zygomata 
flaring  ;  the  occipital  region  is  extensive  ;  the  palate  proper  is  contracted  and 
at  the  same  time  prolonged  downward  ;  there  is  a  long  arched  interval  between 
molars  and  incisors.  On  a  plane  surface,  the  skull  without  the  lower  jaw  rests 
level  upon  the  molars  and  incisors^  no  other  points  touching  the  support. 
The  molars  are  all  rootless  and  perennial.  The  inferior  incisors  traverse  the 
whole  jaw.  The  superior  incisors  are  semicircular.  No  anteorbital  foramen 
occupies  a  usual  site.  The  complex  temporal  bone  is  inordinately  enlarged 
in  all  its  elements,  but  especially  the  squamosal,  which  represents  most  of 
the  cerebral  roofing  at  expense  of  the  reduced  parietals.  The  malar  is  merely 
a  short  splint;  there  is  an  osseous  tubular  meatus  auditorius.  There  are  no 
orbital  processes  ;  the  interorbital  constriction  is  narrower  than  the  rostrum  ; 
the  latter  is  more  than  a  third  of  the  length  of  the  whole  skull.  Such  are 
some  of  the  general  features,  from  which  we  may  proceed  to  details  —  first 
of  configuration  of  the  whole,  afterward  of  characters  of  individual  bones. 

Viewed  from  above,  rather  less  than  the  posterior  two-thirds  of  the  skull 
presents  a  subquadrilateral  figure,  from  which  the  rostrum  protrudes  in  front. 
The  greatest  width  is  opposite  the  fore  part  of  the  zygomata  in  most  cases  ; 


268  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

though  specimens  differ  in  this  respect,  owing  to  a  variable  curve  of  these 
parts.  In  adult  Geomys,  the  case  is  as  stated,  the  zygomata  converging  a 
little  backward  in  a  nearly  straight  line,  so  that  posteriorly  their  width  apart 
is  little  if  any  greater  than  the  intermastoid  diameter  of  the  skull.  In  Tho- 
momys,  there  is  a  more  decided  outward  convexity  of  these  arches,  and  their 
greatest  width  apart  is  nearly  at  their  middle — if  anything,  posterior  to  this, 
and  at  any  rate  the  width  here  decidedly  surpasses  the  intermastoid  diameter. 
In  front,  the  zygomatic  plates  of  the  maxillaries  start  out  at  nearly  a  right 
angle  with  the  long  axis  of  the  skull ;  behind,  the  zygomata  curve  rather 
abruptly  into  the  squamosal.  There  is  a  deep  abrupt  emargination  behind 
the  posterior  root  of  the  zygomata,  between  this  and  the  postero-lateral  corner 
of  the  skull ;  in  the  recess,  the  tubular  bony  meatus  auditorius  appears  pro 
truding  in  this  view.  The  lambdoidal  crest,  forming  the  posterior  boundary 
of  the  skull,  is  a  slight  curve,  more  or  less  irregular ;  most  of  it  is  squamo 
sal,  for  the  occipital  bone  rises  to  this  crest  for  only  a  short  distance.  The 
narrowest  part  of  the  skull  is  between  the  orbits,  where  the  width  is  less 
than  the  diameter  of  the  rostrum.  The  irregularly  pyriform  figures,  circum 
scribed  by  the  zygomata  and  walls  of  the  cranium,  are  of  large  size ;  no 
orbits  proper  are  defined  in  the  general  orbital  space,  owing  to  deficiency  of 
both  pre-  and  post-orbital  processes.  The  dome  of  the  cerebral  cavity  is  but 
little  inflated  ;  its  sides  seem  somewhat  pinched,  there  being  a  decided  though 
shallow  concavity  just  above  the  zygomatic  spur  of  the  squamosal ;  and  a 
slight  bulging  anteriorly  on  each  side  at  the  usual  site  of  post-orbital  pro 
cesses.  The  median  line  of  the  cerebral  roof,  in  an  old  Geomys  skull,  is  a 
ridge ;  this  ridge  bifurcates  anteriorly  to  send  a  curved  leg  forward  and  out 
ward  to  the  orbital  margins ;  and  behind  enlarges  a  little  to  receive  a  small 
interparietal.  In  various .  Thomomys  skulls  of  different  ages,  the  squarnosals 
leave  a  rectangular  interval  occupied  by  small,  narrowly  linear  parietals ;  and, 
instead  of  a  single  median  ridge,  there  are  two  parallel  ridges,  with  a  depressed 
interval.  The  sides  of  the  rostrum  are  straight  and  parallel,  the  edge  being 
the  swollen  track  of  the  superior  incisors.  The  end  is  vertically  truncate; 
the  tips  of  the  nasals  and  interma'xillaries  and  the  faces  of  the  incisors  being 
all  about  in  one  perpendicular  plane.  The  width  of  the  rostrum  is  rather 
more  than  half  its  length. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— OSTEOLOGY.  269 

Viewed  in  profile,  the  skull  shows  an  almost  perfectly  straight  dorsal 
outline  from  the  occipital  protuberance  to  a  point  just  in  advance  of  the  orbits. 
Here  is  the  highest  point  of  the  skull,  whence  the  profile  of  the  rostrum 
slopes  gently  downward,  ending  abruptly  by  vertical  truncation.  Likewise, 
the  posterior  or  occipital  outline  is  straight,  or  nearly  so,  and  at  a  right  angle 
with  the  superior  surface.  Likewise,  again,  the  inferior  surface  of  the  skull, 
in  all  that  part  lying  behind  the  pterygoids,  presents  a  nearly  straight  and 
horizontal  profile,  at  right  angles  with  the  occipital  plane.  Neither  bulla 
ossea  nor  paroccipital  nor  condyle  is  sufficiently  developed  to  interfere  with 
the  straightness  of  outline  and  rectangularity  which  all  the  back  part  of  the 
skull  presents  to  the  side  view.  The  rest  of  the  under  outline  of  the  skull 
consists  of  the  palatal  profile  as  a  whole.  This  consists  anteriorly  of  a  deep 
(semi-oval)  concavity ;  there  is  an  abrupt  rise  from  the  incisive  alveolus,  and 
then  a  long  gradual  curve  sloping  far  backward  and  downward  to  the  molar 
alveolus ;  while  the  strong  obliquity  of  set  of  the  anterior  molars  protracts 
this  same  curve  to  the  tips  of  the  teeth.  The  molar  alveolar  border  is  very 
short,  and  rather  oblique,  being  lowest  behind.  The  enormous  arched  inter 
val  between  the  incisors  and  molars  is  highly  characteristic,  as  is  also  the  low 
position  of  the  molars — the  teeth  dip  below  a  line  drawn  from  the  tips  of  the 
incisors  to  the  foramen  magnum.  Behind  the  palate,  flange-like  pterygoids 
slope  up  to  the  basi-occipital  plane.  In  this  view,  the  zygomata  are  seen  to 
dip  but  slightly  downward.  Their  point  of  greatest  deflection  lies  high  above 
a  line  drawn  from  the  incisive  alveolus  to  the  occipital  condyle — in  fact,  even 
above  a  line  from  the  end  of  the  nasal  bones  to  the  same  point ;  at  their  low 
est  point,  they  are  still  on  a  level  with  the  meatus,  and  they  scarcely  dip  more 
than  half-way  from  the  top  of  the  skull  to  the  level  of  the  molar  crowns. 
For  the  rest,  notable  points  of  the  profile  view  of  the  skull  are  the  small  size 
and  peculiar  position  of  the  "anteorbital''  foramen,  here  situate  low  down  and 
far  forward  in  the  maxillary,  near  its  antero-inferior  angle ;  a  deep  pit,  but  not 
perforation,  behind  the  zygomatic  plate  of  the  maxillary ;  extensive  lacerate 
foramina  of  exit  of  nerves  entering  the  orbit  from  the  brain ;  similar  fissured 
vacuities  between  the  bulla  ossea  and  the  squamosal.  The  foreshortened 
tubular  meatus  is  seen  in  the  deep  recess  between  the  posterior  root  of  the 
zygoma  and  the  postero-inferior  angle  of  the  squamosal. 


270  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

Viewed  from  behind,  the  occipital  surface  is  seen  to  be  nearly  plane  and 
vertical,  with  some  beveling  of  the  lateral  (mastoid)  portions.  The  most 
remarkable  feature  is  the  extent  of  this  surface  which  is  formed  by  the  mas 
toid.  In  Geomys,  at  any  rate,  the  mastoids  take  as  much  part  in  the  occipital 
surface  as  the  occipital  bone  itself.  The  upper  border  of  this  surface  is  a 
nearly  regular  arch  from  one  squarnosal  angle  to  the  other.  The  lower  out 
line  is  likewise  a  curve,  with  its  convexity  downward,  but  its  regularity  is 
broken  by  the  nick  of  the  foramen  magnum  in  the  middle,  the  protuberance 
of  the  condyles  next,  similar  parOccipital  processes  next,  and  after  a  little 
interval  the  mastoid  processes.  Barring  these  irregularities  of  detail,  the 
general  occipital  surface  is  elliptical  in  shape.  In  the  middle,  and  nicking  the 
lower  limb  of  the  ellipse,  is  the  foramen  magnum,  nearly  all  of  which  is  ver 
tical,  and  consequently  not  foreshortened  in  this  view. 

Viewed  from  below,  the  general  contour  is  substantially  like  that  pre 
sented  from  the  opposite  inspection,  and  we  need  only  attend  to  details. 
The  first  feature  is  the  incisive  foramina — very  smail  slits  lying  wholly  in 
the  intermaxillary  bones,  yet  nearer  to  the  molars  than  to  the  incisors,  so 
great  is  the  production  of  the  rostrum.  The  palate  proper,*  i.  e.,  the  inter- 
molar  portion,  is  extremely  contracted,  its  width  anteriorly  being  no  greater 
than  that  of  one  of  the  molars.  It  widens  a  little  backward.  It  is  deeply 
twice  furrowed,  having  a  strong  median  ridge  separating  the  furrows,  and 
strong  alveolar  ridges  on  either  hand.  Posteriorly,  there  is  a  pair  of  deep 
pits  extending  to  opposite  the  penultimate  molars,  and  divided  by  a  strong 
ridge.  The  palatal,  plate  upon  which  these  pits  are  constructed  reaches  con 
siderably  back  of  the  molars  in  Geomys ;  less  so  in  Thomomys.  The  general 
resemblance  of  the  parts  to  some  Arvicolince,  is  strong.  The  pterygoids  are 
thin,  vertical,  and  somewhat  circular  plates,  divaricating  a  little  posteriorly, 
and  abutting  against  the  tips  of  the  bulla  ossea  They  appear  like  a  bifurca 
tion  of  the  median  palatal  ridge  just  mentioned.  The  post-palatal  parts 
being  contracted,  like  the  palate  itself,  and  compressed  into  small  space,  it  is 
not  easy  to  fully  appreciate  the  conformation  of  the  parts,  and  still  less  so  to 
describe  it.  Moreover,  the  lamellar  pterygoids  are  often  broken  off  in  care- 

*  The  long  upward-sloping  anterior  part  of  palate  is  not  "palate"  at  all.  In  life,  it  is  altogether 
outside  the  mouth,  like  the  superior  incisors,  and  covered  with  furry  skin. 


COUES   (Xtf  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— OSTEOLOGY.  271 

less  preparation  of  the  skull,  and  in  such  a  way  that  scarcely  a  suggestion 
of  their  former  presence  is  left.  Behind  the  pterygoids,  the  conspicuous 
bullee  ossae  appear  convergent  anteriorly  to  touch  the  former,  prolonged  into 
a  tube  exteriorly.  Between  them,  the  basi-occipital  space  is  cuneiform 
(especially  in  Thomomys — more  nearly  quadrangular  in  Geomys),  with  a 
median  ridge  and  lateral  depressions,  nicked  behind  by  a  small  portion  of  the 
foramen  magnum.  The  skull  finishes  behind  by  an  irregular  curve,  substan 
tially  the  same  as  that  described  in  speaking  of  the  occipital  plane. 

In  all  but  the  oldest  animals,  the  following  sutures,  or,  at  any  rate,  traces 
of  them,  persist:  internasal,  naso-intermaxillary,  maxillo-intermaxillary,  fronto- 
nasal,  fronto-intermaxillary,  and  fronto- maxillary ;  maxillo-malar,  squamo- 
parietal,  squamo-malar,  squamo-mastoid,  occipito-mastoid,  occipito-petrosal ; 
basi-occipito-sphenoid ;  and  there  is  fissured  separation  of  the  petrosal  and 
tympanic  from  the  squamosal.  The  various  intricate  relations  of  the  palatals, 
and  of  the  ''sphenoid"  as  a  whole,  are  inappreciable  in  the  adult  skull. 
Detailed  relations  of  such  of  the  individual  bones  as  can  be  made  out  from 
the  material  before  me  here  follow : 

The  nasals  reach  back  to  a  point  opposite  the  anterior  root  of  the 
zygoma,  but  extend  little,  if  any,  in  the  other  direction,  beyond  the  inter- 
maxillaries.  For  two-thirds  their  extent  they  are  -narrow  and  approximately 
parallel  in  the  examples  of  Geomys  before  me,  and  then  rapidly  expand.  In 
all  the  Thomomys  I  have  seen,  they  widen  regularly  from  the  base  to  tip. 
They  are  flat  at  first,  but  toward  the  end  become  somewhat  volute  or  scroll- 
like.  They  remain  permanently  distinct  from  the  intermaxillaries,  and  have 
failed  in  no  case  to  show  me  separation  from  each  other. 

The  intermaxillaries  run  up  on  the  forehead  farther  than  the  nasals — to 
or  beyond  the  back  instead  of  front  border  of  the  zygomata,  being  received 
in  a  deep  emargination  of  the  frontal.  Below,  similarly,  they  run  far  down 
on  the  false  palate,  ending  opposite  the  back  end  of  the  incisive  foramina. 
Their  course  around  the  side  of  the  rostrum  (maxillo-intermaxillary  suture) 
may  usually  be  traced  as  a  strongly  convex  curve  between  the  upper  and 
lower  points  just  mentioned,  the  most  forward  portion  of  the  curve  lying 
nearly  midway  between  zygoma  and  incisors.  The  lateral  surface  is  thrown 
into-a  curved  elevation,  denoting  the  track  of  the  incisor  within.  A  strong 


272  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

alveolar  plate  dips  down  between  the  front  teeth.  The  maxillary  ends  ante 
riorly  in  the  curve  just  described  ;  its  other  boundaries  are  obscured  in  adult 
life.  The  side  is  flat ;  it  suddenly  rises  in  a  broad,  thin,  zygomatic  plate,  flush 
above  with  the  general  level  of  the  top  of  the  skull,  there  abutting  (as  shown 
by  a  long  persistent  suture)  both  with  frontal  and  intermaxillary.  This  plate 
stands  away  nearly  at  a  right  angle  with  the  axis  of  the  skull,  but  very  oblique 
to  the  other  two  planes.  It  circumscribes  the  orbit  anteriorly;  is  excavated 
in  the  lachrymal  region  ;  its  upper  border  is  widened  to  a  sharp-edged 
surface,  and  slopes  gently  outward,  downward,  and  backward ;  its  thin  under 
margin  rises  to  nearly  meet  the  Dipper,  finishing  the  laminar  portion,  and  con 
tinuing  to  the  malar  bone  as  an  angular  process.  A  lachrymal  bone  is  plainly 
indicated  at  the  upper  back  part  of  the  plate,  but  its  extent  and  relations  are 
not  appreciable. 

The  frontal  is  much  contracted,  especially  across  the  middle,  having  a 
somewhat  hourglass-like  superior  outline,  though  both  ends  are  angular.  In 
front,  it  sends  a  rectangular  median  process  abutting  against  the  nasals,  and 
inclosed  between  the  intermaxillaries,  and  an  acute  lateral  process  on  each 
side,  entering  a  recess  between  intermaxillary  and  maxillary.  These  sutures 
seem  persistent.  Behind,  the  fronto-parietal  and  frouto-squamosal  sutures 
are  commonly  obliterated ;.  when  appreciable,  the  bone  is  seen  to  unite  with 
the  extremely  narrow  parietals  by  a  directly  transverse  straight  line,  and 
with  the  squamosals  by  an  oblique  line  on  each  side.  These  sutures  persist 
longer  on  top  of  the  head  than  in  the  orbital  region. 

The  malar  bone  is  a  mere  splint,  reduced  corncidently  with  the  great 
extension  of  the  zygomatic  spurs  of  both  squamosal  and  maxillary.  It  is 
somewhat  clubbed  anteriorly  and  overrides  its  support ;  behind,  it  is  itself 
overlapped.* 

The  parietals,  as  already  hinted,  are  singularly  reduced  in  this  family. 
In  the  skull  of  an  old  Geomys,  the  squamo-parietal  suture  is  obscure  or 
inappreciable,  and  the  squamosals  appear  to  meet  each  other  at  the  above- 
described  ridge  on  the  median  line;  careful  inspection,  however,  usually 
reveals  a  very  irregular  and  much  overlapping  squamo-parietal  suture,  defining 

*  Although  the  zygoma  iu  this  family  is  a  good,  stout  arch,  this  reduction  of  the  malar  prepares 
us  for  the  delicate  thread-like  condition  of  the  parts  in  the  next  family,  Saccom$idce. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— OSTEOLOGY.  273 

the  parietals  externally.  These  are  of  indeterminate  shape,  but  tend  to  be 
narrowly  rectangular ;  •  and,  in  Thomomys,  a  pair  of  pretty  regular  linear 
parietals  is  usually  evident.  There  is  constantly  an  interparietal — squarish 
or  pentagonal  in  Thomomysi  rather  triangular  in  Geomys, 

With  such  state  of  the  parietals,  there  is  a  corresponding  overdevelop 
ment  of  the  temporal  bone,  especially  of  its  squamosal  element,  though  not 
to  the  extraordinary  extent  witnessed  in  Saccomyidce,  where  the  whole  bone 
is  blown  up  like  a  bladder.  The  squamosal  roofs  over  most  of  the  cranial 
cavity,  and  alone  forms  (with  the  exception  of  a  little  place  occupied  by  the 
interparietal)  the  whole  occipital  or  lambdoidal  crest.  The  mastoid,  which 
persists  distinct  from  both  squamosal  and  occipital,  though  usually  fusing 
with  the  petrosal,  is  immensely  developed,  its  superficies  lying  mostly  in,  and 
representing  about  half  of  each  side  of,  the  occipital  surface.  It  develops  a 
moderate  "mastoid  process'',  lying  against  the  postero-external  corner  of  the 
squamosal,  and  looking  like  a  duplicate  of  the  paroccipital  process  that  lies 
against  its  opposite  extremity.  The  petrosal  does  not  share  this  unusual 
development,  the  bullae  ossese  being,  in  fact,  smaller  than  they  are  in  Arvicola, 
for  instance;  they  swell  but  little  below  the  baso-occipital  plane.  The 
tympanic  develops  into  a  tubular  meatus,  set  quite  free  from  its  surroundings 
in  a  deep  recess  of  the  squamosal.  The  petrosal  likewise  is  fissured  away 
from  the  squamosal,  but,  in  adult  life,  the  tympanic,  petrosal,  and  mastoid  are 
consolidated. 

The  upper  and  lower  parts  of  the  occipital  bone  are  at  right  angles  with 
each  other;  the  basi-occipital  is  horizontal  upon  the  floor  of  the  skull,  while 
the  superior  and  lateral  elements  are  perpendicular  behind.  The  supra- 
occipital  is  squarish,  with  rounded  corners ;  the  ex-occipitals  develop  into 
moderate  obtuse  processes.  Nearly  all  of  the  foramen  magnum  is  vertical ; 
the  condyles  are  rather  small,  and  widely  divergent  superiorly. 

The  suture  with  the  basi-occipital,  which  persists  for  some  time,  is  ordi 
narily  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  sphenoidal  relations  which  may  be  appre 
ciated  in  examination  of  adult  skulls.  Close  inspection,  however,  shows  the 
squamo-sphenoid  suture  just  inside  the  glenoid  fossa;  the  alisphenoid  barely 
misses  taking  a  part  in  the  mandibular  articulation  (as  in  some  marsupials)  ; 
35  COL 


274  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

the  orbito-sphenoicl,  lining  the  orbit  behind,  rises  nearly  to  the  top  of  the 
skull.  • 

The  mandible  remains  for  consideration.  This  is  eminently  character 
ized  by  its  massiveness  and  the  emphasis  of  its  various  ridges  and  angles. 
Nevertheless,  the  symphysis,  though  extensive,  is  incomplete.  Instead  of  an 
edge  below,  the  bone  presents  a  broad,  smooth,  flattened  area,  bounded  on 
the  sides  by  a  ridge  indicating  the  limit  of  masseteric  muscular  attachment. 
The  angle  of  the  jaw -is  strongly  exflected  in  a  peculiar  way.  An  oblique 
plate  (the  "descending  process"  in  many  rodents)  arises' from  the  inner  side 
of  the  body  of  the  bone,  and  curves  strongly  backward  and  outward,  ending 
far  exterior  to  the  main  part  of  the  bone  as  a  strong  laminar  process.  Just 
inside  of  this,  between  it  and  the  condyle,  there  is  a  strongly-marked,  smooth, 
upright  protuberance.  This  is  where  the  root  of  the  incisor  pushes  up  from 
the  inside.  To  the  inner  side  of  this  knob,  again,  rises  a  third  protuberance; 
it  is  the  condyle,  rather  small,  and  of  no  noteworthy  features.  (It  appears 
particularly  small  when  compared  with  the  glenoid  cavity,  which,  as  I  should 
have  remarked  before,  is  of  unusual  width.)  Thus  the  mandibles,  viewed 
from  behind,  present  the  curious  appearance  of  three  prongs — condyle,  inci 
sor-knob,  and  exterior  process.  The  appearance  of  trifurcation  is  best  marked 
in  Thomomys,  where  the  tooth-knob  is  most  prominent,  and  separated  by 
deepest  notches  from  the  processes  between  which  it  stands.  In  addition  to 
all  these  prominences,  a  slender,  falcate,  acute  coronoid  rises  in  front,  and 
overtops  the  rest,  being  separated  from  the  condylar  ramus  by  a  deep  notch. 
There  is  a  deep  excavation  between  the  thin  laminar  basis  of  the  coronoid 
and  the  molar  alveolus  The  foramen  of  the  inferior  maxillary  nerve  appears 
on  the  inner  side  of  the  root  of  the  condylar  ramus 

The  dental  formula  has  been  already  given.  The  molar  dentition  appears 
weak  and  slight  in  comparison  with  the  enormous  incisors.  The  under  inci 
sors,  as  already  said  in  effect,  run  the  whole  length  of  the  jaw,  and  push  up  a 
knob  of  bone  behind.  They  are  of  the  ordinary  scalpriform  construction, 
quite  flat-faced,  with  converging  sides,  and  beveled  to  an  edge  behind.  The 
superior  incisors  describe  nearly  a  semicircle  through  the  inter maxillaries, 
and  far  into  the  maxillaries,  to  below  the  root  of  the  zygoma.  They  are 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— OSTEOLOGY.  275 

of  distinct  character  in  the  two  genera,  furnishing  the  most  ready  means 
of  diagnosis,  not  only  of  the  genera,  but  of  the  species  of  Geomys,  as  already 
fully  given  in' -the  body  of  this^paper. 

The  molars  are  perennial  rootless  prisms,  as  in  Arvicolince  and  many 
other  hard  gnawers,  but  are  small  and  of  a  very  simple  structure — at  least 
in  comparison  with  the  compfteate  character  which  obtains  in  many  rodents. 
The  whole  mojar  series  is  scarcely  one-seventh  of  the  length  of  the  skull. 
They  are  implanted  very  obliquely  to  suit  the  peculiar  conformation  of  the 
parts.  The  axis  of  the  anterior  upper  molar  slopes  backward  at  an  angle  of 
about  45°,  and  the  rest  succeed  with  regularly-diminishing  obliquity.  The 
relation  is  reversed  in  the  lower  jaw,  where  the  Tjack  molar  slopes  forward, 
the  rest  becoming  successively  more  nearly  perpendicular.  There  is  the 
same  number  of  teeth  in  both  jaws,  and  they  are  quite  similar  in  construction. 
The  anterior  molar  in  each  jaw  is  a  double  prism  ;  the  others  are  single  and 
simple,  elliptical  in  cross-section,  the  first  being  a  pair  of  ellipses  laid  together 
like  a  short  broad  figure-of-eight,  and  the  last  approaching  a  cylindrical  figure. 
The  relation  of  the  molars  to  each  other  is  somewhat  singular.  Their  roots 
are  all  widely  diverging,  but  their  crowns  come  into  close  contact.  This  is 
effected  by  the  curve  in -their  axis.  Thus  the  front  upper  molar  is  curved 
with  the  convexity  posterior ;  the  rest  are  curved  successively  more  and  more, 
with  the  convexity  anterior.  Similar  characters  mark  the  under  molars, 
though  less  strongly;  and  there  is  seen  in  these  teeth,  especially  in  the  anterior 
ones,  a  lateral  as  well  as  fore-and-aft  curve.  This  shape  appears  to  be  forced 
upon  the  teeth  by  the  peculiar  conformation  of  the  alveoli.  The  molars  are 
quite  similar  in  the  two  genera,  and  scarcely  afford  diagnostic  characters, 
especially  since  there  is  some  change  in  the  details  of  the  molar  crowns  with 
age  and  wear  of  the  teeth.  On  the  whole,  however,  it  may  be  observed  that 
in  Geomys  the  molars — the  immediate  ones,  at  any  rate — are  more  perfectly 
elliptical  than  they  are  in  Thomomys,  where  a  pinching-together  of  the  exte 
rior  portion  of  the  ellipses  tends  to  result  in  a  pyriform  contour. 

The  principal  cranial  and  dental  characters  of  the  two  genera  which  com 
pose  the  Geomyidte  may  be  shortly  contrasted,  as  follows : 


276 


EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


GEOMYS. 

Superior  incisors  deeply  channeled 
along  the  middle,  with  or  without 
a  fine  marginal  groove. 

Crowns  of  intermediate  molars  truly 
elliptical. 

Root  of  inferior  incisor  but  little  pro 
tuberant  on  outside  of  base  of  con- 
dylarramus;  end  of  mandible  thus 
only  two-pronged,  with  a  knob 
between. 

Zygomata  widest  across  anteriorly, 
thence  contracting ;  the  width  be 
hind  little,  if  any,  greater  than  the 
intermastoid  diameter  of  the  skull. 

Parietals  ridged  along  their  line  of 

union  with  each  other. 

• 

Interparietal  triangular. 

Nasals  approximately  parallel-edged 
part  way,  then  suddenly  widening. 

Superficies  of  mastoid  bone  occupying 
nearly  half  the  occipital  surface  of 
the  skull  on  each  side. 

Bullae  ossese  less  inflated,  quite  acute 
anteriorly. 

Basi-occipital,  in  the  middle,  about  as 
broad  as  the  width  of  the  bulla  at 
the  same  point. 

A  pair  of  broad  deep  pits  on  the  pal 
ate  behind,  extending  forward  to 
opposite  the  penultimate  molars. 


THOMOMYS. 

Superior  incisors  without  median  sul- 
cus,"but  with  a  fine  marginal  groove 
(sometimes  obsolete). 

Crowns  of  intermediate  molars  acute- 
edged  exteriorly. 

Root  of  inferior  incisors  causing  a  pro 
tuberance  on  outside  of  base  of  con- 
dylar  ramus  nearly  as  high  as  con- 
dyle  itself;  end  of  mandible  thus 
singularly  three-pronged. 

Zygomata  regularly  convex  outward, 
with  a  sweeping  curve ;  their 
breadth  across  posteriorly  deci 
dedly  greater  than  the  intermas 
toid  diameter  of  the  skull. 

Parietals  ridged  externally  near  the 
squamo-parietal  suture. 

Interparietal  rather  pentagonal. 

Nasals  widening  uniformly  from  be 
hind  forward. 

Superficies  of  mastoid  bone  restricted 
to  less  than  a  fourth  of  the  occipital 
surface  on  each  side. 

Bullse  ossese  more  inflated,  quite  ob 
tuse  anteriorly. 

• 

Basi-occipital,  in   tlie   middle,   much 

narrower   than   the    bulla   at  the 

same  point. 
A  pair  of  slight  pits  on  the  palate 

behind,  not  extending  beyond  the 

ultimate  molars. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— OSTEOLOGY. 


277 


Pterygoids ?  (will  be  found  differ 
ing  appreciably  from  those  of  Tho- 
momys). 


Pterygoids  appearing  like  a  bifurca 
tion  into  two  thin  diverging  plates 
of  a  single  median  vertical  palatal 
plate. 


In  like  manner,  we  may  proceed  to  compare  some  of  the  principal  cranial 
characters  of  Geomyida  and  Saecomyida.  Notwithstanding  the  unquestion 
ably  close  affinity  of  these  two  families,  which  must  stand  next  to  each  other 
in  the  system,  their  crania  are  curiously  different  in  general  appearance  and 
details  of  contour.  The  discrepancies  are,  however,  of  a  superficial  charac 
ter,  resulting  mainly  from  the  extraordinary  molding  of  the  parts  in  Sacco- 
myid<£.  In  other  words,  it  is  a  matter  of  mere  shape,  for  the  most  part. 
There  are,  however,  some  curious  and  more  essential  features,  of  which  the 
enormous  inflation  of  various  elements  of  the  temporal  bone  and  peculiar 
zygomatic  relations  posteriorly  are  the  most  remarkable.  Probably,  going 
into  details,  a  hundred  actual  differences  between  the  skulls  of  Geomyida  and 
SaccojJiyida  might  be  enumerated.  I  shall  content  myself  with  tabulating  a 
few 'of  the  more  important  of  these.  The  comparisons  are  made  between 
Geomys'bursarius  and  Dipodomys  ordi;  it  should  be  remembered,  however, 
that  the  latter  presents  an  extreme  case,  the  average  characters  of  the  Sacco- 
myid(B  being  less  different  from  those  of  Geomyida. 


GEOMYID.E. 

Skull  massive,  angular,  in  general  like 
that  of  Arvicola,  &c. 

Interorbital  space  the  narrowest  part 
of  the  skull — narrower  than  ros 
trum. 

Occipital  region  approaching  a  plane 
surface,  without  median  emargina- 
tion. 

Nasal    bones    not  produced    beyond 


SACCOMY1D.E 

Skull  thin  and  papery,  the  corners 
rounded  off;  the  resulting  general 
shape  peculiar. 

Interorbital  space  expanded,  very 
much  broader  than  the  rostrum. 

Occipital  region  formed  chiefly  of 
enormous  bulging  mastoids,  with 
deep  median  emargination. 

Nasal  bones  produced  far  beyond  in- 


278  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


vertical  plane  of  incisors;   rostrum 
broad,  parallel-sided. 


cisors;   rostrum  attenuated,  taper 
ing. 


Parietals  small,   linear,  remote  from       Parietals  large  right-angled  triangles, 
the  orbits.  together  as  broad   as  the   frontal, 

reaching  orbits. 

Occipital  of  an    ordinary  character,       Occipital    reduced    and   of    peculiar 
not  attaining  top  of  skull.  shape  ;  a  part  of  it  mounting  the 

top  of  the  skull. 

Temporal   bone,  though  of  great  ex-       Temporal   bone   unique  in  its  enor- 
tent,  not  remarkably  inflate*d.  mous    size    and    inflation,    being 

blown  up  like  a  bladder;  the 
swollen  mastoids  forming  most  of 
the  occipital  plane  ;  the  two  tem 
porals  larger  than  all  the  rest  of 
the  skull  together.* 
Squamosal  roofing  most  of  the  cere-  Squamosal  restricted  to  the  orbit. 

bral  cavity. 
Zygomata  of  an  ordinary  character,       Zygomata  thread  -like  in  most  of  their 


with  the  usual  connections. 


Tympanic,  a  contracted  tube. 


extent,  and    greatly  depressed   in 
position  ;  the  malar  bone  abutting 
against  the  tympanic. 
Tympanic,  an  inflated  vestibule. 


Petrosals  discrete  from  each  other,  Petrosals  in  mutual  contact  at  their 
in  contact  with  basi-occipital.  extremities,  and  fissured  away 

from  basi-occipital. 

Mastoid  excluded  from  roof  of  cere-  Mastoid  roofing  most  of  cerebral 
bral  cavity.  cavity. 

Zygomatic    process    of    maxillary    a       Zygomatic  process  developing  into  a 


plate  with  merely  thickened  upper 
border. 


shield    over    much  of  the   orbital 
space. 


Palatal    outline    strongly    ascending       Palatal    profile    nearly    straight   and 

*  If  the  sense  of  hearing  of  Dipodomys  be  co-ordinated  with  the  osseous  development  of  the  auditory 
apparatus,  it  must  be  extraordinarily  acute. 


COUES  ON  GEOMYS  AND  THOMOMYS— OSTEOLOGY. 


279 


and  arched  anteriorly ;   molars  far 
below  level  of  zygomata. 

Incisors  large,  parallel-edged,  scarcely 
converging. 

Anterior  molar,  a  double  prism. 

Root  of  inferior  incisor  protuberant 
posteriorly. 

Large  erect  falcate  coronoid,  overtop 
ping  condyle. 

&c.,  &c. 


horizontal ;  molars  on  a  level  with 
the  zygomata. 

Incisors    small,    acuminate,    conver 
gent. 

Anterior  molar,  a  single  prism. 

Root  of  inferior  incisor  not  promi 
nent  posteriorly. 

Minute  prickle-like  sloping  coronoid, 
far  below  level  of  condyle. 
&c.,  &c. 


ADDENDUM   B. 


NOTES  ON  THE  "SALAMANDER"  OF  FLORIDA  (GEOMYS  TUZA). 

{Communicated  to  the  author  by  Prof.  G.  Brown  Goodel\ 

One  of  the  most  interesting  mammals  of  the  Southern  Atlantic  States 
is  the  species  of  Geomys  known  in  Florida  and  Georgia  as  the  "Salamander." 
The  name  of  "  gopher,"  by  which  the  various  representatives  of  this  genus 
inhabiting  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley  are  known,  would  seem  very  appro 
priate  for  this  animal.  It  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  French  "gaufre", 
and  to  refer  to  the  manner  in  which  the  soil  is  honey-combed  by  the  pouched 
rats. 

Local  usage,  however,  has  appropriated  this  name  to  a  kind  of  land- 
tortoise,  Xerobates  carolinus,  (Linne*)  Ag.,  which  is  common  in  Georgia  and 
Florida,  and  which  also  excavates  a  burrow,  a  habit  to  which,  perhaps,  it 
owes  its  name.  I  have  never  heard  an  explanation  of  the  name  "salamander" 
in  its  application  to  Qeomys  tuza;  but  it  occurs  to  me  that  it  may  allude  to 
the  safety  enjoyed  by  these  little  animals  in  their  subterranean  abodes  at  the 
time  of  the  devastating  fires  which  sometimes  consume  the  pine-forests. 
After  such  a  conflagration  has  passed  over  their  heads,  destroying  every  other 
kind  of  life,  they  are  seen  at  work  among  the  ashes,  very  good  types  of  the 
salamander  of  fable,  which  passes  unharmed  over,  burning  coals,  and 

"  with  her  touch 
Quenches  the  fire,  though  blazing  ne'er  so  much." 

Although  the  species  was  not  scientifically  described  until  1817,  it  was 
noticed  by  several  among  the  earlier  writers.  William  Bartram,  an  English 
naturalist,  who  visited  the  Southeastern  States  in  1773,  speaks  of  a  large 
ground-rat,  which  he  observed  in  the  vicinity  of  Savannah,  which  was  more 
than  twice  the  size  of  the  common  Norway  rat,  and  whicli  in  the  night  threw 
out  earth,  forming  little  mounds  or  hillocks.* 

"Travels  through  North  and  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  East  and  West  Florida,  the  Cherokee 
Country,  the  extensive  territories* of  the  Muscogulges  or  Creek  Confederacy,  and  the  country  of  the 
Chactaws.  *  *  *  —By  William  Bartram.— Dublin.— 1793.  p.  7.  [Orig.  ed.  Philadelphia,  1791.1 

36  COL 


282  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

A  brief  description  of  the  species,  under  the  name  of  the  Hamster 
of  Georgia,  was  published  in  the  New  York  Medical  Repository  in  1802, 
and  afterward  in  an  appendix  to  the  American  edition  of  Bewick's  Quadru 
peds.  On  this  description  was  founded  the  name  Mus  tuza,  cited  in  the  list 
of  American  mammals  published  by  Ord  in  1815,*  a  name  which  antedates 
that  of  Rafinesque  by  about  two  years,  and  which  has  been  adopted  by  Dr. 
Coues. 

Notwithstanding  their  great  abundance,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  obtain 
specimens  of  the  salamanders.  Their  acute  sense  of  smell  gives  them  an 
early  warning  of  the  approach  of  danger,  and  they  easily  make  their  escape 
in  the  maze  of  tunnels.  Should  one  even  be  driven  into  a  blind  passage,  it 
would  find  little  difficulty  in  baffling  its  pursuer,  for  it  can  burrow  faster  than 
a  man  can  follow  with  a  spade ;  and,  since  it  obliterates  its  track  by  throwing 
the  soil  behind,  it  leaves  scarcely  more  trace  of  its  passage  in  the  loose  sand 
than  a  fish  swimming  through  the  water.  It  is  thought  quite  impossible  to 
dig  them  out.  Occasionally,  they  are  shot,  when  they  come  to  the  surface  to 
throw  out  sand ;  but  they  remain  in  sight  only  an  instant,  and  the  marksman, 
to  be  successful,  must  have  his  gun  bearing  upon  the  opening  at  which  the 
animal  is  expected  to  appear,  with  finger  on  the  trigger,  and  be  ready  to  pull 
the  moment  the  head  is  sighted. 

By  the  patient  use  of  steel-traps,  while  in  Florida  this  spring,  I  obtained 
a  number  of  specimens,  some  of  which  I  succeeded  in  keeping  for  several 
weeks,  thus  having  an  excellent  opportunity  of  studying  their  habits.f  They 
may  easily  be  confined  in  a  wooden  box,  with  sides  eight  or  ten  inches  high, 
having  dry  sand  two  or  three  inches  deep  on  the  bottom.  No  cover  is 
necessary ;  I  have  never  seen  one  look  up  from  the  earth,  and  have  rarely 
known  them  to  attempt  to  escape.  They  require  no  water,  and  no  food 
except  sweet-potatoes.  A  single  potato  of  moderate  size  will  feed  a  sala 
mander  for  three  days. 

The  senses  of  sight  and  hearing  seem  in  them  to  be  very  dull. 
An  object  may  be  held  within  a  short  distance  of  their  eyes  without  attract- 

*  Guthrio's  Geography,  2d  American  edition,  ii,  1815,  p.  292. 

t  Two  of  them,  which  I  sent  to  the  Zoological  Society  of  Philadelphia,  may  be  seen  in  the  garden 
at  Fairmonnt  Park. 


GOODE  ON  THE  HABITS  OF  GEOMYS  TUZA.        283 

ing  their  attention ;  but  the  moment  one  is  touched,  he  turns  with  a  jump, 
snapping  fiercely,  much  to  the  detriment  of  fingers  which  may  be  near. 
If  two  are  confined  in  the  same  cage,  the  one  does  not  seem  aware  of  the 
presence  of  the  other,  unless  they  accidentally  come  in  contact.  Their  eyes 
are  small,  dull,  and  without  expression.  Their  sense  of  smell  I  judge  to  be 
very  delicate,  from  the  mannerun  which  they  approach  the  hills  of  potatoes. 
Their  motions  are  surprisingly  quick  and  energetic;  their  activity  never 
ceasing  from  morning  to  night. 

They  are  very  pugnacious,  and  a  rough-and-tumble  combat  between 
two  vigorous  males  would  seem  terrific,  if  their  size  could  be  magnified  a 
few  diameters  in  the  eye  of  the  spectator.  Every  muscle  of  their  compact, 
elastic,  stout  bodies  is  brought  into  action,  and  they  plunge  and  bite  with 
wonderful  ferocity.  A  battle  is  usually  followed  by  the  death  of  one 
or  both.  I  have  examined  them  after  death,  and  found  the  whole  ante 
rior  part  of  the  body  bruised  almost  to  the  consistency  of  paste,  the  bones 
of  the  legs  crushed  in  four  or  five  places.  When  two  come  together  in  the 
cage,  their  salutation  is  a  plunge  and  a  bite. 

I  watched  their  burrowing  with  much  interest.  They  dig  by  grubbing 
with  the  nose  and  a  rapid  shoveling  with  the  long,  curved  fore  paws,  assisted 
by  the  pushing  of  the  hind  feet,  which  remove  the  dirt  from  beneath  the  body 
and  propel  it  back  with  great  power  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  inches.  When 
a  small  quantity  of  earth  has  accumulated  in  the  rear  of  the  miner,  around  he 
whirls,  with  a  vigorous  flirt  of  the  tail,  and  joining  fore  paws  before  his  nose, 
he  transmutes  himself  into  a  sort  of  wheelbarrow,  pushing  the  dirt  before 
him  to  a  convenient  distance,  and  repeating  the  act  until  the  accumulation  is 
removed,  then  resuming  his  mining.  Any  root  or  twig  which  blocks  his  way 
is  quickly  divided  by  his  sharp  chisel-teeth.  I  have  never  seen  a  salamander 
place  sand  in  his  cheek-pouches,  though  I  have  watched  their  burrowing  hour 
after  hour.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  observe  them  when  at  work  under 
ground,  but  I  incline  to  believe  that  most  of  the  refuse  earth  from  the  bur 
rows  is  transported  in  the  manner  just  described.  The  negroes  told  me  that 
they  had  seen  the  salamander  appear  at  the  mouth  of  its  hole  for  an  instant 
and  "spit  out"  the  sand  which  it  carried  in  its  pouches,  aiding  the  act  by 
inserting  the  fore  paws  into  the  pockets.  I  have  never  met  any  one  who 


284  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  CANONS  OF  THE  COLORADO. 

could  tell  exactly  what  the  salamander  does  at  the  instant  he  appeared,  his 
motions  being  so  quick  that  one  cannot  be  quite  sure;  the  general  impression, 
however,  is,  that  they  are  unloading  their  cheek-pouches.  This  is  not  at  all 
improbable,  for  we  know  that  they  carry  their  food  in  these  receptacles,  and 
it  seems  a  very  natural  way  for  them  to  bring  their  refuse  sand  to  the  surface, 
since  they  often  have  to  transport  it  a  distance  of  several  feet.  Still  it  is 
quite  desirable  to  have  other  and  more  careful  observations;  for  observers  are 
apt  to  be  deceived  by  their  own  eyes,  especially  in  the  light  of  preconceived 
opinions. 

The  subterranean  labyrinth  constructed  by  this  clever  army  of  sappers 
and  miners  penetrates  the  pine-barrens  and  cultivated  fields  in  every  direction. 
An  energetic  salamander,  with  a  slight  knowledge  of  engineering,  would  find 
little  difficulty,  I  suspect,  in  making  an  underground  journey  through  Florida 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  direction  of  the  burrows  may 
easily  be  traced  by  the  loose  hillocks  of  white  sand  which  are  thrown  up 
along  the  line  at  intervals  of  three  or  four  feet.  These  are  the  "dumps'7 
made  by  the  burrower  in  throwing  out  his  refuse  accumulations.  Each  con 
sists  of  about  a  peck  of  loose  sand,  and,  by  the  casual  observer,  might  easily 
be  mistaken  for  an  ant-hill.  No  opening  is  visible,  but  by  digging  under  the 
hill  a  hole  is  found,  the  mouth  of  the  adit  to  the  main  tunnel,  which  may  be 
three  feet  below  the  surface  if  made  in  cold  weather,  but  perhaps  not  more 
than  six  inches  if  in  summer.  One  of  these  mounds  is  thrown  up  in  a  very 
few  moments ;  I  have  seen  thirty  raised  in  a  single  night  on  the  line  of  one 
tunnel ;  this  would  represent  nearly  one  hundred  feet  of  tunneling.  I  have 
seen  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  one  continuous  row  raised  in  about  two  days ; 
this  would  make  between  four  and  five  hundred  feet  of  burrow  completed  in 
that  short  time  apparently  by  one  little  animal,  an  amount  of  work  which  may 
seem  incredible  to  one  who  has  not  watched  the  restless  movements  of  these 
animated  plows,  which  are  seemingly  as  well  adapted  for  piercing  the  sand  as 
birds  are  for  cleaving  the  air.  The  burrows  are  about  two  and  one -half  inches 
in  diameter,  barely  large  enough  to  admit  a  man's  hand,  and,  as  has  been 
stated,  are  at  various  depths  below  the  surface.  They  meander  in  all  direc 
tions,  except  in  straight  lines;  their  builders  being  guided  apparently  only  by 
their  whims  or  their  olfactories.  They,  no  doubt,  intersect  each  other  at  many 


GOODE  ON  THE  HABITS  OF  GEOMYS  TUZA.         285 

points,  and  one  tunnel  serves  as  a  passage  for  a  community,  though  fierce  bat 
tles  must  often  ensue  when  two  rival  claimants  meet  in  a  common  highway. 

The  nests  are  large  chambers,  one  or  two  feet  from  the  main  tunnel, 
with  which  they  are  connected  by  side-passages,  which  leave  nearly  at  right 
angles.  Here  the  miners  lay  up  a  supply  of  provisions,  and  the  chambers 
are  often  found  to  contain  a  half-bushel  of  sweet-potatoes  cut  up  into  chunks 
as  large  as  peach-stones,  and  of  convenient  size  to  be  carried  in  the  pockets. 
The  salamander  is  a  liberal  provider.  In  this  region,  cellars  are  unknown,  and 
sweet-potatoes  are  stored  in  heaps  at  the  surface,  covered  with  straw  and  sand. 
The  salamanders  are  cunning  enough  not  to  throw  up  sand-heaps  in  the 
vicinity  of  these  potato-heaps,  but  remove  the  loose  earth  into  their  old  tun 
nels.  When  they  once  get  access  to  the  "tater-hake,''  they  quickly  remove  its 
contents,  and  the  owner  wakes  up  the  some  morning  to  find  his  cache  a  hollow 
pretense.  In  these  side-chambers,  the  salamanders  rear  their  young,  building 
a  nest  of  grass,  pine-needles,  and  live-oak  leaves.  I  found  them  breeding  in 
April. 

The  color  of  Geomys  tuza  is  quite  constant,  light  reddish-brown  above, 
darker  along  the  back,  and  lighter  yellowish-brown  beneath.  One  specimen 
was  caught  for  me  which  showed  a  decidedly  melanistic  tendency,  being 
nearly  black.  The  measurements  of  a  very  large  male  are  as  follows :  Nose 
to  eye,  1&  inches;  nose  to  ear,  II ;  nose  to  root  of  tail,  11&  ;  tail  from  root  to 
end  of  vertebrae,  3 ;  arm,  fore  foot  to  end  of  claws,  II;  leg,  hind  foot  from 
heel  to  end  of  claws,  li;  muzzle  to  bottom  of  cheek-pouch,  3;  circumfer 
ence  of  expanded  mouth  of  pouch,  5 ;  distance  from  tip  to  tip  of  the  longest 
toes  of  the  fore  feet,  when  stretched  apart  at  right  angles  with  the  body,  71; 
same  measurement  applied  to  hind  feet,  6£ ;  girth  of  body  behind  shoulders, 
5 ;  distance  from  eye  to  eye,  I ;  distance  from  ear  to  ear,  li. 

The  contents  of  one  of  the  cheek-pouches  in  sand  filled  an  old-fashioned 
silver  tablespoon,  heaped  full.  The  contents  of  the  pouch  of  an  ordinary 
salamander  will  fill  a  dessertspoon  in  the  same  way. 


INDEX, 


Page. 
Alcoves "--•          176 

Alcove  land,  The 151 

lands,  defined , 149 

lands  of  White  River. ..^ 167 

Ancient  land* 

Antecedent  valleys  defined 163 

Antiquity  of  arid  conditions 209 

Aquarius  Plateau 137 

Arable  land,  Distribution  of 143 

Arid  conditions,  Antiquity  of 209 

Ascomys 

borealis • "     250 

bulbivorus 258 

bursarius 251 

canadensis 221 

douglasii 259 

mexicauus 236 

rufescens 261 

talpoides 250 

townsendii 251 

umbrinus 261 

Ashley 17,26 

-Falls 17 

Bad-lauds  described 149, 151 

north  of  the  Uinta  Mountains 10, 150 

south  of  the  Uinta  Mountains 166 

—  of  erosion 171,203,206,209 

Berthond,  Captain 41 

Bitter  Creek 151 

Black's  Fork  of  the  Green 10 

Boats,  Description  of 8 

Book  Cliffs 53,167,170,172,174 

Bow-Kuot  Bend 53 

Brown  Cliffs 53,167,170,172,174 

Brovm'sPark 19,157,161 

Bright  Angel  River 86 

Bnttes,  Origin  of 173 

Camas  rat 221 

Canada  rat 221 

Canadian  hamster 221 

Canon,  Cataract 60,175 

,  Desolation 46, 168, 170, 174 

,  Glen 68,177 


Gallon,  Grand 

,  Gray 50, 

,  Gypsum 

,  Horseshoe 

,  Kanab 

.Kingfisher 

,  Labyrinth 52,167, 

,  Lodore «. 

,  Marble 

,  Mu-koon'-tn-weap 

,  Narrow 

,  Pa-ru'-nu-weap 

,  Red 16, 

,  Split  Mountain 38, 

.  Stillwater 

,  Swallow 

,  Whirlpool 

Canons  due  to  erosion 

,  lateral  to  the  Grand  . . 


of  the  Colorado,  Exploration  of 

of  the  Colorado,  Myths  of 

,  The  Terrace 


Carboniferous  at  the  Grand  Wash 

at  the  Paria  Fold 

in  the  Grand  Canon 

in  the  Kanab  Cafion 

on  the  Kaibab  Plateau 

strata  . . 


Cataract  Canon 

Caves 

Chestnut-faced  gopher 

Cliff  erosion 

of  the  Harp 


Cliffs 

,  Book 53,167,170, 

,  Brown , 53,167,170, 

— ,  Echo - 73, 

,  Orange 55,167,170, 

,  Pink 107, 

,  Shin-ar'-ump 

,  To-ro'weap 

— ,  Vermilion 112,134,180, 

,  White 


Page. 
80 

167, 170 

65 

14 

197 

14 

170, 174 

22, 161 

73, 180 

111 

68, 175 

5,109 

157, 161 

157, 161 

54, 175 

19 

35, 161 

197 

197 

1 

7 

167 
187 
178 
190 
197 
212 

177, 180 

60,175 

68 

230 

,205 

23 

6 

172, 174 

172, 174 

189, 191 

172, 176 

135, 190 

190 

188 

190, 200 
134 


288 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Cliffs  and  slopes  of  displacement 182 

characteristic  of  a  dry  climate 171 

,  Formation  of 204 

,  Measurement  bf,  by  the  eye 16 

of  erosion 1 190 

of  erosion  thrown  forward  by  displace 
ments 191 

Climbing  out  of  the  cafion 64 

Coanini  Creek '--  197 

Plateau 194 

Colorado  Chiquito  Kiver 77, 180, 197 

Eiver 60 

,  Sources  of  the "          3 

,  Tributaries  of  the 4 

Consequent  valleys,  defined 163 

Corrasion -. - 179 

Coues,  Dr.  Elliott,  on  Geomys  and  Thomo- 

mys 216 

Cranial  characters  of  GeomyidaB 267 

Cretaceous  in  Gray  Cafion 170 

strata 190 

Cricetus 220 

bursarius 221 

talpoides 250 

Crossing  of  the  Fathers 72 

Dawes,  Mount ~.. — .  34 

Dental  characters  of  Geornyidae 267 

Descent  into  the  Grand  Cafion 122 

Desolation,  Cafioii  of 46, 168, 170, 174 

Diamond  Creek 196, 199 

Dike 81 

Diplostoma 220 

alba 221 

bulbivorum 258 

fusca 221 

Diplostome  blanche - 221 

—  bruii 221 

Dirty  Devil  Eiver 67, 107, 133, 138, 141, 176 

Disaster  Falls 26 

Distances  and  heights. . .  12, 21, 30, 43, 56, 79, 145, 180 

Displacement,  Cliffs  and  slopes  of 182 

,  influence  on  cliffs  of  erosion 191 

Distribution  of  forest 142 

of  water,  arable  land,  grass,  &c. 143 

Drift  of  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi 208 

Eastern  Kaibab  fault 186,192 

Echo  Cliffs 191 

Park 32 

Eclipse  of  the  sun 74 

El  Vado  do  los  Padres J 72 

Ernma.Mount 200 

Erosion,  Ancient 213 

— ,  Base  level  of 171,203,206,209 

by  streams,  Manner  of 179 

,  Clilla  of  . .  190 


Erosion  in  the  Colorado  region  relatively 
small 

,  Magnitude  and  results  of 

,  Methods  and  conditions  of 

Eruption  as  an  agent  in  topography 

Eruptive  mountains  carved  from  sediment 
ary  beds - :... 

Escalante,  Father 

River 

.Sierra 

Exploration  of  the  valley  of  the  Colorado. 

Falls,  Ashley 

,  Disaster 

.Triplet . 

Fault,  Eastern  Kaibab 

,  Grand  Wash 

• ,  Hurricane  Ledge 

-,  To-ro'-\veap 186, 

,  Western  Kaibab 

Faults  discussed 

in  Ulnta  Mountains 

Fire  in  camp 

Flaming  Gorge 11, 14, 

Floods,  Sudden 

Fold  at  the  Toom'-pin  Wu-near'  Tu-weap'. . 

near  the  San  Juan  River 

,  Paria 

,Uinta 152, 

Folds,  Minor,  of  the  Uinta  Mountains 

,  Monoclinal,  discussed 


Forest,  Distribution  of. 

Gaufre 

Geomys 

borealis 

breviceps 

bulbivorus 

bursarius 

canadensis 

castanops , 

clarkii 

des  pins 

douglasL 

drummondii .... . 

f uliginosus 

fulvus ........ 

hispidus 

mexicanus 

oregonensis 

pineti 

'  pinetis 

rufescens  

talpoides 

townsendii 

tuza 

uuibriuus.-. 


Pago. 

209 
208 
202 
206 

177 

72, 138 

138 

35 

1 

17 
26 
27 

186,192 
186 

186, 199 

196, 199 

186, 192 

182 

156 

29 

157. 161 
65,86 

175 

178 

178, 185 

159. 162 
58 

182 
142 
221 
220 
250 
221 
258 
221 
221 
233 
233 
230 
259 
221 
259 
261 
239 
236 
231 
330 
230 
251 
251 
251 
230 
201 


INDEX. 


289 


Page. 

Geomys  unisulcatus 2G1 

Gilbert,  G.  K.,on  antiquity  of  arid  conditions         211 

Glacial  epoch 211 

Glen  Cafion .": 68,177 

Goblin  City 41,167 

Goffer 221 

Goode,  Prof.  G.  Brown,  on  Geomys  tuza 279 

Gopher _ 221, 230 


Grand  Canon  

,  Descent  into  the 

described  .". 

,  Region  traversed,  by  the 


80 
12:2 
193 
185 

56 
3 


Grand  River 

,Sources  of  the  --. 

Grand  Wash 102,187,188 

Fault.* 186 

Granite 81,96,193,212 

Gravels  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Desert 211 

on  the  fla.nks  of  the  Uinta  Mountains.          207 

Gray  Cafion . 50,167,170 

Great  Salt  Lake  Desert,  The 211 

Green  River  City 151 

Green  River  older  than  the  Uinta  Fold 152, 162 

.Sources of  the 3 

Gunnison's  Crossing 51 

Gypsum  Gallon .• 65 

Ilamblin,  Jacob 107, 128, 133, 137 

Hamster  du  Canada 221 

Hamster  of  Georgia 230 

Harp,  Cliff  of  the 23 

Hawkins,  Mount 38 

Heights  and  distances 12. 21, 30, 43, 56, 79, 83, 180 

Hell's  Half-Mile 28 

Henry  Mountains 71,137,141,177 

Henry's  Fork  of  the  Green 11, 12 

Hill  and  mom. tain  erosion  ..* 205 

Hog-back  erosion 205 

Hog-backs 159 

— ,  Formation  of « 204 

IlorseshoeCanon 14 

House  Rock  Valley 192 

Howland  brothers  and  Dunn  determine  to 

leave  the  river 98 

.Murder  of 130 

Hughes,  General 41, 167 

Hurricane  Ledge 187 

-Fault 186,199 

Indian  garden 96 

rafts 51 

Indians  17,42,104,113,140 

,Kai-vav-its 107,189 

— .Navajo 72, 189 

,Shi'-wite 115,128,189 

— ,  Food  of 126 

Inscription  at  Ashley  Fulls 17 

37  COL 


Page. 

Island  Park 33 

Ives,  Lieut.  J.  C  195,196,199 

Junction  of  the  Grand  and  Green  Rivers ..  56 

Jurassic  at  foot  of  Gray.  Cafion .,.          170 

strata '. 190 

Kaibab  Plateau lc-5,  Ihy,  192, 194, 212 

Kai-par'-o-wits  Pluteau 137 

Kai-vav-ks 107,189 

Kauab  , 132,133 

Cafion ^ 197 

—  Creek 106,197 

Kingfisher  Cafion 14 

Labyrinth  Cafion 52,167,170,174 

Lavas,  Ancient 213 

Lava  streams 94 

.Recent 131 

Legend  of  the  So'-kus  Wai'-uu-ats 116 

Lodore,  Cafion  of 22, 161 

Logan,  Mount 200 

MarbleCafion 73,180 

Mar  vine,  A.  R.,  on  the  valley  system  of  the 

Rocky  Mountains  of  Colorado 164 

Mauvaisea  terres 149 

Measurement  of  cliffs  by  the  eye 16 

Mesquite 77 

Minor  folds  of  the  Uinta  Mountains 158 

Monoclinal  folds  discussed 182 

Mountaineers ]2 

Mountain  sheep .. 66 

— ,  Navajo 136 

,  San  Francisco _.          197 

Mountains,  Abajo ., 175 

,  Escajante 35 

,  Henry 71,137,141,177 

,  La  Sal 56,175 

.Trumbull „...  131,200 

,U-in-ka-ret 131,189,199,200 

,  Uinta 10,152,200,206 

,  Volcanic 6,58,131 

34 

200 

38 

200 

111 

220 

221 

221 

221 

221 

Music  Temple 70,178 

Myths  of  the  cafions  of  the  Colorado 7 

Narrow  Cafion 68, 175 

Navajo  Indians 72, 189 

Mountain 136 

Non  -conformable  beds  under  Kaibab  Plateau          212 


Mount  Dawes 

Emma 

Hawkins 

Logan 

Mu-koon'-tu-weap  Cafion  . 

Mns 

bursarius , 

ludovicianus 

saccatus 

tuza..  


290 


INDEX. 


Pago. 

Newberry,  Dr.  J.  S 196 

,  on  the  erosion  of  the 

caiions ,  198 

Orange  Cliffs 55, 167, 170, 172, 176 

Oryctomys 243 

bottsB , 258 

Paria  Fold 178,185 

Plateau 192 

River 73,106,133,135,197 

Pa-ru'-nu-weap  Cafion 5,109 

Party,  Names  of 9,134 

,  Separation  of 99 

Pauns-a'-gunt  Plateau .„..,.. 107, 135 

Peatbog.... 107 

Pecos  gopher 233 

Physical  features  of  the  valley  of  the  Col 
orado 148 

Pink  Cliffs ....107, 135, 190 

Pipe  Spring 112, 132 

Plateau,  Aquarius 137 

,  Coanini . 194 

,  Kaibab 185, 188, 192, 194,212 

,  Kai-par'-o-wits 137 

,  Paria 192 

,  Pauns-a'-gunt 107,135 

,  San  Francisco 186,195 

,  Shi'-wite. 187,189 

,  TableCliff 139 

,  Yampa 159 

Plateaus 193 

Pleasant  Creek 140 

Pocket  gopher 221 

Poisoned  by  potato-tops 45 

Potato  Valley 136 

Pot-holes  in  Echo  Cliffs 189 

Pouched  rat 221 

Pseudostoma 220 

borealis 250 

bulbivorum 258 

bursarius 221 

castanops 233 

douglasii 259 

fulvus 261 

floridana 230 

hispiduin 239 

mexicana 236 

talpoides 25C 

umbrinus > 261 

Pseudostome  a  bourse 221 

Rapids,  Manner  of  passing 22, 23, 50, 83 

,  relation  to  dip  and  texture  of  strata.  73, 81 

,  Waves  of,  distinguished'  from  wind- 
waves 22 

Red  Canon 16,157,161 

River,  Black's  Fork  of  the  Green 10 


Page. 

River,  Bright  Angel 86 

,  Colorado 3,4,60 

,  Colorado  Chiquito 77, 180, 197 

,  Dirty  Devil 67, 107, 133, 138, 141, 176 

,  Escalante 138 

,  Grand 3,56 

,  Green ". 3 

,  Henry's  Fork  of  the  Green 11, 12 

— ,  Paria 73,106,133,135,180,197 

— ,  San  Juan 73,178 

,  Sevier 106 

,  Uiuta 41 

,  Virgen 41,104,106,109,197 

,  White 5,30,32,41 

— ,  Yampa 5,30,32,41 

Rock  Rovers  Land 112 

Rocky  Mountains  of  Colorado,  Inter-hog 
back  valleys  of 163 

,  Superimposed  valleys  of         163 

Ruins,  Shi'-ni-mo 69, 77, 87, 90, 125 

Saccoinyidse,  cranial  characters  of 276 

Saccophorus 220 

albus 221 

borealis 250 

bottse 258 

bursarius » 221 

mexicanus 236 

pineti 230 

quachil 239 

talpoides 250 

Salamander 221,230 

Sand-rat 221 

Sandstone 50 

San  Francisco  Plateau 186, 195 

Mountain 197 

San  Juan  River -. 73,178 

Shin-ar'-tunp  Cliffs 190 

Shi'-wits  Indians 115, 128, 189 

- — Plateau 187,189 

Shipwreck  of  the  "NoName" 24 

Showers  causing  sudden  floods 65, 76, 86 

Sierra  Abajo 175 

Escalante 35 

La  Sal 56,175 

So-kus  Wai'-un-ats,  Legend  of  the 116 

Split  Mountain  Canon 38,157, 161 

Standing  rocks 176 

Still  water  Canon : 54,175 


Superimposed  valleys  denned . 

Swallow  Canon 

Table  Cliff  Plateau 

Taschenmaus 

Temples  of  the  Virgen 

Terrace;  Canons,  The 

Terraces... 


166 

19 

136 

221 

111 

167 

6 


INDEX. 


291 


Page. 

Tertiary  in  the  CaQon  of  Desolation 170 

in  the  Pink  Cliffs 190 

Thomomys 243 

borealis ~s 250 

Wta> 259 

bulbivorus 249,258 

clusius 250,263 

douglassii •-«. "        592 

fulvus ..~  251, 261 

-laticeps 259 

rufescens - 251 

-talpoides <--* 249,250 

Thompson,  A.  H.,  Report  of 133 

Thousand  Wells,  The 1H9 

Toom'-pin  Wu-near7  Tu-weap' 54, 58, 174, 175 

To-ro'-weap  Cliffs 188 

Fault 186,196,199 

Valley 186 

Tower  Park 54 

Trias  in  Glen  Canon 177 

in  the  Vermilion  Cliffs 190 

Triplet  Falls 27 

Trumbull,  Mount 131,200 

Tuca 236 

Tuean 236 

Tugan 236 

Tusayan,  Province  of 87 

Tuza 236 

U-in-ka-ret  Mountains 131, 189 

described 199 

,  Geological  history  of .. . ...-. 200 

Uinta  Fold,  relation  to  drainage  system.. .          159 

-, younger  than  the  Green  River  . .  152, 162 

Mountains 10,152,200,206 

,  Canons  of  the 13,157 


Pago. 
Uinta  Fold,   Course    of  the  Green  River 

through  the 18 

geology  of  the 152 

,  portion  east  of  the  Green  River.      20, 35 

,  their  base-level  of  ypsion 206 

River .-.'. 41 

Valley,  House  Rock....*... 192 

,  Potato 136 

— — ,  To-ro'-weap 186 

,  Won'-sits 44 

Valleys,  Antecedent,  defined 163 

J — classified.. 160 

,  Consequent,  defined 163 

,  Inter-hog-back 159,162 

of  the  Uinta  Mountains,  classified 161 

,  Superimposed,  defined , 166 

Vasey's  Paradise 76 

Vermilion  Cliffs ,  112, 134, 180, 190, 200 

Creek 20 

Virgen  River 41,104,106,109,197 

Volcanic  cones 94,114,196,202 

mountains 6, 58, 117, 131, 177, 200, 2015 

Volcano,  Extinct,  on  Shi'-wits  Plateau 187 

Water-shed  of  Southern  Utah 106 

Waves  produced  by  rapids  and  by  winds..  23 

Western  Kaibab  fault 186,196 

Whipple,  Lieutenant 199 

Whirlpool  Canon 35,161 

WhiteCliffs 134 

River 5,30,32,41 

Won'-sits  Valley •* -  44 

Yampa  Plateau 159 

River 5,30,32 

Zoology 214 


-A.'WPiiSr-  n^  it.  ^  .  •    -.«%Jir» 


